Jury Awards $3.7M in Prince George's Police Shooting

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) - A Prince George's County jury awarded $3.7 million Thursday to the family of a Howard University student fatally shot by an undercover county officer in 2000, a case that helped spark a federal probe of the county force.

The civil trial jury deliberated over two days before awarding the money to the parents and daughter of Prince Jones Jr. in a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, according to their attorney, Gregory Lattimer.

Jones, 25, was shot eight times in the back, shoulder and arm on a Fairfax County neighborhood street by Cpl. Carlton Jones, who is not related to the victim, during a confrontation Sept. 1, 2000. Corporal Jones had followed Prince Jones on the mistaken belief he was involved in a gun investigation.

The case, along with other alleged incidents of brutality by Prince George's police, prompted the Justice Department to review the county department. In a settlement reached in January 2004, the county police pledged to reduce the use of excessive force by officers.

However, probes by Fairfax County, the Justice Department and the Prince George's police internal affairs division did not lead to charges against Corporal Jones.

Cpl. Jones said he feared for his life and fired after Prince Jones used his Jeep Cherokee to try to ram the officer's vehicle. But the police officer admitted during the trial that he gave conflicting statements about what happened to investigators.

Lattimer said jurors were likely swayed by witness testimony that contradicted Corporal Jones claims that Prince Jones was backing toward the officer when he fired.

"Nobody wanted to look at the truth," he said of the earlier investigations that cleared Corporal Jones. "It was clear Carlton Jones manufactured everything and everyone ignored that until today."

Lattimer said he originally sought to settle the case for $4 million, but the county refused. A county spokeswoman would not say if Prince George's plans to appeal the ruling.

"We understand the wisdom of the jury's decision," said County Executive Jack Johnson in a statement. "Constitutionally, we are bound by the jury's decision and have to support them."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)