Maryland brothers indicted in officer’s friendly fire death

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A grand jury indicted three Maryland brothers on 121 charges in a police detective’s death in a gunfight allegedly started by one brother and videotaped by the others, a prosecutor said on Tuesday.

The brothers – Michael Ford, 22; Malik Ford, 21; and Elijah Ford, 18 – were indicted for the March attack on a police station in Landover, Maryland, a Washington suburb, Prince George’s County prosecutor Angela Alsobrooks told a news conference.

An officer mistakenly shot off-duty plainclothes detective Jacai Colson, 28, during the gunfight.

Michael Ford faces 55 charges, including second-degree murder and attempted murder, Alsobrooks said. Elijah and Malik Ford each are accused of 33 counts that include attempted murder, first-degree assault and weapons violations.

Court documents allege that the brothers had discussed a plan by Michael Ford, who has a history of mental illness, to engage police in a shootout.

They drove to the police station and parked nearby. Malik and Elijah Ford filmed the scene with their phones when Michael Ford opened fire outside the building.

Alsobrooks said that the brothers each face multiple life sentences if convicted on all counts.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Sandra Maler)