Honoring the Life of Jacai Colson
March 16, 2016
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I rise today to pay tribute and to honor the life of Prince George’s County police officer Jacai Colson, who was killed in the line of duty. Line of duty deaths are always difficult to bear. A police officer or another first responder leaves their house, their station, or their vehicle and their loved one, coworker, or partner expects to see them return. My heart breaks for Jacai’s loved ones and for the tight-knit community that is the Prince George’s County Police Department.
On March 13, 2016, an off-duty detective, Police Officer First Class (POFC) Jacai Colson arrived at the District III Police Station in Landover, MD, with the intent of visiting a fellow officer when matters took an unexpected turn for the worse. We will continue to learn the details of this tragedy in the coming days. What we do know is that Officer Colson’s actions saved lives and allowed his fellow officers to neutralize the threat even as he made the ultimate sacrifice. On behalf of the citizens of the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland, I want to send my appreciation to Officer Colson for his selfless and heroic actions and his relentless dedication to public service.
I would like to remember the legacy POFC Colson leaves behind. He was a Pennsylvania native who played Quarterback at Chichester High School in Boothwyn, PA, where he graduated. Officer Colson then went on to play Wide Receiver and Defensive Back at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA. His college football coach recalled Colson as:
“A really respectful kid and just a high-character young man. . . To be honest, he wasn’t a great player, but he was a really great person.”
POFC Colson was the grandson of a career police officer. He himself joined the Prince George’s County Police Department and after two years of service on the force, he joined the Narcotics Department. Officer Colson worked as an undercover detective. Later this week would have been his 29th birthday.
I well know how difficult a job our local police officers have. They are tasked with the tremendous responsibility of meeting the increasingly diverse needs of growing populations with diminishing resources. At a time of so much national discussion about the relationship of law enforcement to our local communities, Officer Colson reminds us all of the important service and sacrifice of our men and women in blue. Unfortunately, his death makes three officers that have been shot and killed in Maryland in 2016. Last month, two officers from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office were fatally shot, Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon and Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey.
Today, our police officers are being asked to be the first line of defense in our war on terror, in addition to carrying out more traditional police work. I want to thank them for their commitment to the citizens and families of this great state. They are Maryland’s heroes, and they have my utmost respect and support.
Jacai Colson’s record of service was characterized by sacrifice, by hard work and dedication to duty, and most of all by achievement. He leaves behind a legacy of service that others can and should aspire to.
Now that his time on earth has come to a needlessly premature end, it is my hope that POFC Jacai Colson has found the peace he has earned. On behalf of this House, I extend my sincerest gratitude and condolences to James and Sheila Colson, his parents; his entire family; friends; Chief Hank Stawinski; Major Kathleen Mills, District III Commander; the entire Prince George’s County Police Department; and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89. May God continue to comfort and sustain each of you.
