By Robert Moran
Philly.com
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — The family of Jacai Colson, a Delaware County native and Maryland undercover detective who was fatally shot by another police officer, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
Colson, 28, was responding to a shootout outside the Prince George’s County police headquarters on March 16, 2016, when he was shot by Officer Taylor Krauss.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Price George’s County Circuit Court, alleges Colson was displaying his badge and shouting “Police! Police!” when he was killed.
Colson, who was raised in Boothwyn and attended Chichester High School, and Krauss were responding to an ambush attack by Michael DeAndre Ford, who was shooting at the police station, at officers, and at cars and an ambulance. Ford’s two younger brother’s were recording the incident on their phones.
Colson arrived on the scene in street clothes and fired 11 times at Ford, who fell to the ground and was arrested. Colson was running down the street when he was shot by Krauss, who mistakenly believed Colson was an additional suspect, police and prosecutors have said. The lawsuit, filed against Krauss and Prince George’s County, disputes that assertion.
A grand jury declined to indict Krauss, who is white, on murder and manslaughter charges and he is still on the force. Ford is awaiting trial. His brothers pleaded guilty in their cases.
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