WASHINGTON — The younger brothers of a man who sparked a chaotic shootout that eventually cost a Prince George’s County police officer his life have both pleaded guilty to charges for their roles in the attack.
Malik and Elijah Ford appeared separately in Prince George’s County Court on Tuesday to answer for their role in a case that rocked the department last year.
Malik Ford, 22, of Fort Washington, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and a gun charge. He faces a 50-year prison sentence with all but 20 suspended when he is sentenced next year.
Elijah Ford, 19, of Landover, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He’ll be sentenced next year and faces up to 50 years in prison with all but 12 suspended.
Both brothers were facing multiple charges of attempted murder, assault and other related charges. Their brother Michael Ford still faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy.
The two younger brothers were both at the scene, videotaping and encouraging their brother, Michael Ford, to begin shooting at police officers outside Prince George’s County’s District 3 police station in Palmer Park in March 2016.
The shootout that ensued ultimately led one police officer to shoot Detective Jacai Colson, killing the 28-year-old officer who worked undercover and who was not in uniform when the bullets started flying.
Colson was down the street from the police station and was firing in the direction of the brothers when another officer saw him shooting and fired the fatal shot. That officer was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors said all three men planned the attack, and even recorded it so they could post it online in the hopes of the video going viral.
“These brothers sat in a car together and agreed that they would go to a police station … and go wild on this police station, shoot at police officers, shoot at the station, and eventually shoot at citizens as well. Shoot at an ambulance …. I don’t think there’s any way we can ever make sense of this except that they were OK with going to shoot at and kill innocent individuals,” State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said.
“This does not assuage our grief,” Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said. “This wasn’t an attack on just Detective Colson, who was tragically lost. It was an attack on the entire community. It was an attack on bystanders. It was an attack on fire and EMS personnel. It was a reckless attack on a police facility.”
