Police: Slain Officer 'Heroically' Diverted Gunfire As Shooter's Brothers Recorded

By Holly Yan

PHILADELPHIA (CNN) -- Perhaps the only thing as sickening as the death of a beloved officer is knowing that the brothers of the man who initiated the shootout sat nearby to record it, a Maryland police chief said.

"They knew in advance. They had every opportunity to call 911. They had every opportunity to seek medical help. They did nothing," Prince George's County Police Chief Henry Stawinski said Monday.

Instead, the chief said, Elijah and Malik Ford watched and filmed their brother Michael open fire on officers outside a police station, as well as at an ambulance and random people's cars.

The chaos was preplanned, Stawinski said; before the melee, the three brothers talked and did not expect Michael, 22, to survive.

But the alleged gunman didn't die. Instead, an officer out of uniform who had just arrived at the station "heroically" diverted the gunfire toward himself -- and died in the shootout.

'Extreme heroism'

Jacai Colson, a 28-year-old undercover narcotics detective, who grew up in Boothwyn, Delaware County, had no idea what he was driving into when he arrived at the station Sunday afternoon.

"Detective Colson was arriving in an unmarked vehicle and found himself in the middle of a gunfight," Stawinski said. "Heroically, Detective Colson reacted to a set of circumstances that frankly, I don't think he was entirely prepared for."

By that point, the gunman was already firing away at officers outside the police station. According to the chief, Michael Ford opened fire on the first officer he saw. Other officers rushed to the scene, but quickly found themselves at a disadvantage during the shootout.

"Officers involved in this used incredible restraint because they were cognizant of the fact there were homes behind Michael as he was firing at them," Stawinski said.

But Colson, despite wearing plain clothes and no bulletproof vest, decided to take on the gunman.

"Seeing the danger presented by Michael, the shooter, (Detective Colson) took action -- and in doing so, demonstrated extreme heroism because it was his actions that allowed officers to take a position where they could intervene and neutralize the threat," Stawinski said.

"Detective Colson drew fire to himself, and in doing so was mortally wounded."

Killed by friendly fire

But Colson probably wasn't killed by the assailant's bullet, police said.

"We believe the fired round that led to Detective Colson's death was fired by one of his fellow Prince George's County police officers reacting to this," Stawinski said.

While circumstantial evidence suggests Colson was killed by friendly fire, the chief said, "this department does not operate on circumstantial evidence. So while we have identified the six officers who will be named (as) victims in charging documents ... I am not prepared to say which of those officers might have fired that round."

Alleged gunman recorded will

It may seem unfathomable why two brothers would watch and film their brother's rampage and potential death. Michael Ford even recorded his last will and testament immediately before the attack, police said.

And it's equally difficult to understand what prompted the violence in the first place. Michael Ford had no outstanding warrants, Stawinski said.

"This appears to be the act of the Ford brothers," he said. "It doesn't make any sense."

The police chief said Michael Ford had a history of mental illness, but "it's more troubling to me that anyone could stand by so callously and watch this unfold."

Michael Ford was wounded in the shootout but is expected to survive. Police said he and his brothers each face charges of second-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder, among other charges.

Officer 'lit up everybody's life'

Colson, a four-year veteran of the Prince George's County Police Department, would have celebrated his 29th birthday this week.

He was a "brother, friend, police officer, and a hero -- not only to the Prince George's County Police Department, but to every citizen in Prince George's County," Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89 President John Teletchea said.

Teletchea said Colson was a personal friend, one with an infectious smile and tremendous personality.

"Jacai could light up a room. He lit up everybody's life he touched," Teletchea said Monday.

"He made a decision several years ago to make a difference in the world when he joined the Prince George's County Police Department. He
made a difference every day he was here, and he made the difference and saved lives yesterday."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he was distraught by Colson's death. He ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the slain officer.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch also mourned the detective's death, and called shooting at the station a "heinous act of violence and a cowardly crime."

She said Colson's death "is a reminder of the threats that public safety officers face every day, and the dangers that they bravely
confront in every jurisdiction across the country."

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.