Wrongful Death of Police Officer Imprisons Maryland Man for 195 Years
A Maryland man received a 195-year prison sentence for his role in essentially causing the wrongful death of a police officer in a Prince George’s County shooting, reported WTOP.
In March 2016, the 25-year-old Maryland man went to a police station in Landover. He took up a position with a .40-caliber pistol and began to discharge rounds at the police station. The Maryland man fired a total of 23 shots, destroying a glass door at the police station as well as firing at an ambulance and other passing vehicles.
The Maryland man’s younger brother was accomplice to this crime. A 24-year-old brother accompanied the man on his violent journey — with an apparent mission to kill police officers and die in the process, according to prosecutors. The 24-year-old brother filmed the entire incident on a cell phone with the intention of uploading the resulting video to social media.
Given the location and setting, the Maryland man’s barrage of gunshots drew an immediate police reaction. The area surrounding the police station turned into a veritable combat zone almost immediately, with officers responding to the gunshots and attempting to cancel out the threat.
Eventually, the responding police officers were able to close in on the Maryland man and subdue him. With the threat removed, it seemed like everyone involved would escape the incident with their lives and limbs intact. But that is exactly when the real tragedy struck.
At least 30 seconds after the Maryland man succumbed to the authorities, a 28-year-old police officer emerged from cover. He held out his badge and attempted to verbally identify himself as a police officer. Unfortunately, another police officer mistook his 28-year-old colleague as part of the threat and opened fire. As a result of this friendly fire incident, the 28-year-old police officer lost his life.
As a result of this unfortunate incident, the Maryland man and his brothers received the following criminal sentences:
- The 25-year-old Maryland man received a 195-year prison sentence for initiating the aforementioned shootout crime with police officers;
- The 24-year-old brother received a 20-year prison sentence for videotaping the man committing the crime; and
- The 21-year-old brother received a 12-year prison sentence for recording a last will for the Maryland man before the crime.
From a civil, the 28-year-old police officer’s family members filed a wrongful death claim. Those surviving family members argued that the officer who shot their loved one acted in a negligent manner. Time will tell whether the surviving family members will be able to recover a settlement or damages.
Contact Us Today for Help
If you need legal help with a wrongful death claim or a survival action in Maryland, it can be particularly useful to reach out to a driven personal injury lawyer. The lawyers at Iamele & Iamele, LLP in Baltimore, Maryland, have widespread experience in the arena of personal injury law, including wrongful death claims and survival actions. If you need legal help, contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Resource:
wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2019/01/man-who-fired-on-police-station-to-be-sentenced-for-murder/
