Investigation Continues Into Officer Shooting During Ambush

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (WJZ) -- Under scrutiny--an officer's actions during a chaotic ambush in Prince George's County. Police are looking at what led him to shoot his colleague and whether it could have been prevented.

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren on the search for answers.

The chief says the officer who fired on Jacai Colson didn't do so with malice, believing the undercover detective was part of the ambush. It's a painful scenario that's happened before.

How did Prince George's County police kill one of their own?

Police say Detective Jacai Colson--armed, but not in uniform--immediately fired at Michael Ford, who ambushed a police station in a planned "suicide by cop."

But in the chaos, another officer thought Detective Colson was part of the attack and shot him.

"Every man and woman I know who wears a badge and carries a gun each day, this is their nightmare," said Rob Weinhold, Fallston Group.

Law enforcement expert Rob Weinhold says investigators will be looking at exactly what the shooting officer saw, what he heard and what intel he had.

"All bets are off when there's immediate, indiscriminate fire," said Weinhold. "This was a very sudden ambush and nobody had time to prepare."

This has happened before right here in Baltimore on Paca Street when Officer William Torbit Jr. died in a hail of bullets fired by fellow officers.

Torbit also was not in uniform, but had a badge around his neck. He was one of 33 officers who responded to a fight, shooting and killing a man after he came under attack.

Officers then shot and killed Torbit, not realizing he was one of their own.

"I ended up shooting and killing not only my partner, but my best friend," said Gary Sommers, former Prince George's officer.

In 1998, Prince George's County Officer Gary Sommers accidentally killed fellow officer Mark Murphy during a raid. He is now counseling the officer who shot Detective Colson on Sunday.

"Just dazed and quiet. I know what's going through his mind. He thinks it's all a dream," said Sommers. "It truly was an accident."

"These officers came under immediate attack, immediate ambush and was an absolute fight for survival from the very beginning," said Weinhold.

Arrangements have been set for Officer Colson, with a viewing next Thursday and a funeral on Monday, March 28. Officer Colson would have turned 29-years-old today.

Baltimore City police instituted a number of reforms after Officer Torbit's killing, including preventing plain clothed officers from responding to crowd control situations.