Officer Dead in Shooting Near Police Station; Answers Sought

CHEVERLY, Md.— Police and the public were seeking answers for why a gunman opened fire outside a police station in a Maryland suburb of the nation’s capital, killing an officer in what the police chief called an “unprovoked attack.”Prince George’s co...
Officer Dead in Shooting Near Police Station; Answers Sought
Police stand outside a Popeyes restaurant during an investigation into the shooting of a Prince George's County police officer outside a police station, on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
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CHEVERLY, Md.—Police and the public were seeking answers for why a gunman opened fire outside a police station in a Maryland suburb of the nation’s capital, killing an officer in what the police chief called an “unprovoked attack.”

Prince George’s county police chief Hank Stawinski said the shooter opened fire on the first officer he saw outside the station around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Landover, a suburb about 10 miles northeast of downtown Washington, D.C.

A gun battle followed, with several officers shooting at the suspect, who was wounded, Stawinski said at a news conference. On Sunday night, hours after the shooting, Stawinski had few answers for reporters about what led to the gunfire.

“It wasn’t about anything,” he said of the shooting, which claimed the life of a four-year veteran of the department who would have turned 29 years old this week.

Police were going about their business on the quiet, rainy Sunday afternoon when the gunman fired at the first officer he saw outside a Maryland police station, prompting a gun battle that left undercover narcotics officer Jacai Colson fatally wounded.

Prince George's County police chief Henry P. Stawinski speaks about the murder of Jacai Colson, during a news conference at Prince George's County Hospital Center, on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Cheverly, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force was shot outside the District III police station. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Prince George's County police chief Henry P. Stawinski speaks about the murder of Jacai Colson, during a news conference at Prince George's County Hospital Center, on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Cheverly, Md. Colson, a four-year veteran of the force was shot outside the District III police station. AP Photo/Evan Vucci