Police Officer Indicted In Fatal Shooting Of Citizen In Handcuffs

UPPER MARLBORO, MD — Cpl. Michael Owen, Prince George's County police officer, was indicted Thursday, March 5, for second degree murder, misconduct in office and related charges in the fatal shooting of William Howard Green, 43, of Southeast, Washington, D.C. according to a release from the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.

"From the onset of the investigation into this incident, my office worked collaboratively with the police department, but also conducted an independent investigation into the facts of the incident,” said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, in the release. "Today, we presented our evidence to a grand jury, and the grand jury returned an indictment charging Corporal Owen with second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree assault, use of a handgun and misconduct in office."

Officers were dispatched on Monday, Jan. 27, around 7:20 p.m., to the report of a traffic accident in the St. Barnabas and Winston Street area. Witnesses on the scene told Owen and another officer that Green had hit their vehicle. Believing that Owen was under the influence of a substance, the officers removed Green from his vehicle, handcuffed his hands behind his back and placed him in the front passenger seat of Owen's cruiser. They then waited for the arrival of a drug recognition expert to assess Green.

While they were waiting, Owen sat in the driver's seat of his cruiser, so that he was sitting next to Green. A short time later, Green was shot seven times with Owen's duty weapon. What occurred in that short span of time is at the center of PGCPD's ongoing investigation of the incident.

After the shooting, Owen and the other officer used department-issued trauma kits to provide medical aid for Green. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment but died a short time later.

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