A Prince George’s County police officer who once served as a top county homeland security official was indicted on second-degree murder charges Tuesday in the death of a man who was delivering furniture to his home.
Cpl. Keith Washington shot Brandon Clark, 22, of Oxon Hill, and Robert White, 36, of Washington, during a Jan. 24 altercation at his Accokeek residence. Clark died in early February.
A grand jury was assigned the case this spring and deliberated for four months about whether to bring charges against Washington, 46.
The officer faces 65 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge and a number of other counts stemming from the encounter. Prince George’s State’s Attorney Glenn
Ivey said White does not face indictment.
“My dad used to say measure twice and cut once,” Ivey said. “We wanted to make sure we got it right, and I don’t know that rushing through this would have helped the matter.”
Washington’s lawyer Michael Worthy said his client acted in self-defense.
“They were both in parts of the house that my client did not authorize,” he said. When Washingtontold them to leave, they attacked him, Worthy said.
Worthy said Washington would turn himself in once he was served with the indictment.
Bail was set at $150,000 late Tuesday. A trial is expected in November, Ivey said.
“The charges fit the crime that is alleged to have been done,” said Michael Winkelman, an attorney for White and Clark’s family.
Clark’s mother, Marilynn Clark, 43, of Capital Heights, said Washington must go to jail.
“He robbed me,” she said. “He took my son away from me.”
Even as the Clark shooting was under review, Washington was involved in another gun-related episode, police said.
On June 14, a grand jury indicted Washington on first-degree assault and other charges, saying he pointed a pistol at Kevin King, who mistakenly tried to appraise his home on April 5. A trial on that charge is scheduled for Oct. 8.
After the April incident, Washington was fired from his position as the county’s deputy director of homeland security, according to John Erzen, a spokesman for County Executive Jack Johnson. He was also suspended without pay from the police department.
“We will wait and observe the criminal process like anyone else,” Winkelman said.
