Cyril Williams, one of two men accused of shooting a Maryland State trooper to death on June 11, was released from charges that he had shot at another cop in 2006 because the only witness who could identify him failed to appear in court. The dropped charges are a prime example of Prince George’s County’s witness problem.
Upper Marlboro, where trials for serious crimes in Prince George’s County take place, is a long haul from the county’s inside-the-Beltway communities. Multiple bus rides, and often more than an hour of travel time, create a moat around the county’s seat and courthouse. Prosecutors in Upper Marlboro have long noted the difficulty of getting witnesses to make the shlep.
Williams was accused of riddling a Prince George’s County police cruiser with bullets during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Capital Heights. Only one witness, someone who knew Williams from the apartment complex where the incident occurred, could identify Williams as the shooter, court documents said.
The officer whose cruiser suffered the attack couldn’t identify the shooter himself, which makes sense in the context of the evening. According to law enforcement sources, there were more than 300 shell casings found on the ground near where the cruiser fell under fire. Residents in the area apparently have a tradition of firing their guns in the air to celebrate the New Year.
