Man who fired at Prince George's County police station sentenced to 195 years

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) — - A man who opened fire on a Prince George's County police station was sentenced to 195 years in prison on Thursday.

Michael Ford was convicted on a murder charge in the friendly-fire killing of an undercover detective who tried to end the gunman's attack.

The jury convicted him of second-degree murder, and other charges.

Ford's two younger brothers, Malik and Elijah Ford, drove him to the police station and videotaped the March 2016 shooting with their cellphones. They pleaded guilty to related charges and also are scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

Malik Ford was sentenced to 20 years, while Elijah Ford was sentenced to 12 years.
Detective Jacai Colson exchanged gunfire with Ford before a fellow officer fatally shot the plainclothes narcotics detective, mistaking him for a threat.

Colson's family was at the sentencing on Thursday - they offered an emotional statement on his death.
"The death of Jacai has changed my life - I thought my world had come to an end, then I saw the video of the shooting and was convinced Jacai was murdered because he was black."
- Sheila and James Colson

No one was hit by Michael Ford's gunfire, but the officers inside the station got on the radio, and picked up weapons.

Colson was off-duty and in plain clothes when he pulled up on the scene in his personal car. As he began to take action, he was shot by another officer with a rifle, who mistook him for the shooter.

Taylor Krauss - despite the urging of Jacai Colson's parents - was never indicted in connection with incident, and he remains on the force.

Krauss has said he had tunnel vision during the incident, and did not recognize Jacai Colson.

"The sentences as rendered today can never assuage the pain, loss and the years of healing that remain before us all. I appreciate deeply the decisions that the citizens of Prince George's County have made in these matters on behalf of their defenders. I wish peace upon the Colson family, this institution, and our community," Prince George's County police chief Hank Stawinski said.