Prince George’s County, Maryland, agreed in September 2020 to pay $20 million to the family of William Green, a 43-year-old man shot and killed by a county police officer while handcuffed in the front seat of a patrol car. The William Green settlement was one of the largest ever paid in the United States for a police killing, more than three times the $6.4 million Baltimore paid to the family of Freddie Gray in 2015.1The New York Times. Prince George’s County Reaches $20 Million Settlement in Shooting of Handcuffed Man2PBS NewsHour. Baltimore Approves $6.4 Million Settlement for Family of Freddie Gray
What Happened to William Green
On the evening of January 27, 2020, Prince George’s County Police Corporal Michael Owen Jr. and another officer responded to a multi-car collision in Temple Hills, Maryland. Green was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of PCP, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and placed in the front passenger seat of Owen’s patrol car.3Maryland Matters. Prince George’s County Reaches $20M Settlement in Handcuffed Man’s Shooting Death
Roughly ten minutes later, Owen fired seven shots inside the cruiser, striking Green six times. Green was taken to a hospital, where he died.1The New York Times. Prince George’s County Reaches $20 Million Settlement in Shooting of Handcuffed Man Owen was not wearing a body camera.4DCist. Prince George’s Police Settlement William Green
Owen would later testify that Green became “combative,” displayed “super-human strength,” and somehow gained control of Owen’s service weapon. Owen said he heard the gun hit the center console, saw Green pointing it at him, and struggled over the firearm before shots were fired. Prosecutors challenged that account, noting Green’s hands were cuffed behind his back the entire time, and questioned why Owen kept firing and why he did not simply exit the vehicle.5NBC Washington. Prince George’s Officer Charged With Murder Testifies
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Owen was charged with second-degree murder, the first officer in Prince George’s County history to face a murder charge for an on-duty killing.3Maryland Matters. Prince George’s County Reaches $20M Settlement in Handcuffed Man’s Shooting Death A grand jury later indicted him on five counts, including second-degree murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony, and misconduct in office.6CBS News Baltimore. Michael Owen Indicted in Death of William Green
Warning Signs the Department Missed
Owen was a ten-year veteran with three prior shootings on his record, two of them fatal.7NAACP Legal Defense Fund. LDF Condemns Officer-Involved Shooting of William Green He had filed a workers’ compensation claim for post-traumatic stress disorder tied to a previous fatal shooting, but under department policy at the time, supervisors were not always notified when an officer filed such a claim. Owen kept working.8WorkCompCentral. Prince George’s County Settles Green Case for $20 Million
The department’s early-warning system had also flagged Owen months before he killed Green, triggered by two uses of force in quick succession during the summer of 2019. Administrative delays meant supervisors were not formally notified until January 2020, and no action had been taken by the day of the shooting.9The Washington Post. A Police Officer Shot a Man in Handcuffs; Months Earlier the Department Had Been Warned
The $20 Million Payment
On September 28, 2020, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced the $20 million settlement. The money came directly from the county budget, approved by the county’s budget director.10The Washington Post. Prince George’s County to Pay $20 Million to Family of Man Shot by Officer While Handcuffed The Green family’s attorney, William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr. of Murphy Falcon & Murphy, called it the largest settlement in Maryland history for a police shooting.11The Daily Record. William H. Murphy Jr.
Murphy said the family chose to settle rather than wait years for a trial, though he added that the outcome at trial could have been “catastrophic” for the county. Alsobrooks described the payment as the county “accepting responsibility.” “This is not the way we want to spend tax dollars,” she said, “which is why we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again.” As part of the agreement, Alsobrooks sent the family a letter expressing regret and allowed them to address the county’s police reform work group.10The Washington Post. Prince George’s County to Pay $20 Million to Family of Man Shot by Officer While Handcuffed
What Changed at the Department
One loophole closed quickly. The county changed the policy that had allowed Owen to keep working while collecting workers’ compensation for PTSD; supervisors must now be notified when officers file such claims.8WorkCompCentral. Prince George’s County Settles Green Case for $20 Million
Alsobrooks convened a Police Reform Work Group, which delivered 50 recommendations on December 4, 2020, covering community policing, crisis intervention by mental health professionals, a new Office of Integrity and Compliance, and mandatory public reporting on use-of-force data.12Maryland State Archives. Prince George’s County Police Reform Work Group Final Report By February 2021, the county executive had accepted 46 of the 50, some in amended form. A proposal to dedicate 25 percent of the police force to community policing was called an “operational impossibility,” and a plan for a civilian deputy chief was downgraded to a director role to “preserve Police Department hierarchy.”13Prince George’s County Government. Police Reform Work Group Recommendation Adoption Report Malik Aziz was sworn in as police chief on July 6, 2021, after a nationwide search.14Prince George’s County Government. Police Reform
Owen’s Criminal Trial and Acquittal
The criminal case against Owen took nearly four years to reach a jury. In late January 2023, about a week before a scheduled trial date, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy offered Owen a plea deal that would have reduced the murder charge to voluntary manslaughter. Green’s family and community advocates pushed back, and the Prince George’s County Coalition for Police Accountability held a protest outside Braveboy’s office on February 3, 2023. The deal was dropped.15WJLA. Michael Owen Plea Deal Sparks Outcry
Owen’s trial began on November 28, 2023. On the evening of December 6, after less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found him not guilty on all counts.16WTOP. Prince George’s County Police Officer Not Guilty of Murder, Jury Finds The department said Owen would remain suspended without pay pending internal administrative review.17WJLA. Michael Owen Jury Deliberates Murder Trial
Owen’s Separate Federal Fraud Case
Two days after his acquittal, Owen appeared in federal court on unrelated charges. He had been indicted in 2021 as part of an alleged ring of officers accused of falsely reporting vehicles as stolen, filing fake police reports, and submitting fraudulent insurance claims. He initially pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges carrying a potential combined sentence of 40 years.18NBC Washington. Prince George’s Officer Acquitted of Murder Pleads Not Guilty in Insurance Fraud Case
Owen has since pleaded guilty to a single count of falsification of records, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025.19U.S. Department of Justice. Former Police Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in Connection With Insurance Fraud Scheme