Off-Duty Cops Teach Maryland Teen a "Lesson" by Threatening to Kill and Briefly Kidnapping Him


Two (white) police officers from Prince Georges' County, Maryland, are under investigation for threatening to kill and then basically kidnapping a (black) teenager, after the officers saw the teen walking through the Charles County subdivision where the officers live: 

Law enforcement sources say it all started at a house in the 2800 block of Merchant Court in Waldorf, where the teens say they were invited for a Memorial Day picnic.

As the afternoon turned to evening, the teens told investigators the homeowner accused them of taking items from the house and searched one of the teens.

The three then left.

About 20 minutes after the homeowner searched one of the teens, the three arrived in another section of the sub-division where two were on bikes and one was on foot.  As the off duty officers approached, one of the teens ran off, a second was detained by one of the off duty officers and a third teen, who we are calling J.L., arrived in the 3000 block of Miranda Place. That's where he says the officer said "Stop, or I will shoot you in the back." J.L. says he then sunk to his knees and the officer tackled him.

A man who says he witnessed the incident agreed to recount what he saw as long as fox 5 didn't identify him.

"Approaching the roundabout in Charles Crossing, I noticed a large Caucasian male chasing a younger black male and when I came around the roundabout I saw the officer--I didn't know he was an officer, but he was pounding on top of the victim."

J.L. says he and the other teen were then handcuffed and driven away.

"I was very scared and nervous sir; I didn't know where they were taking me or what they were going to do."

"I had to just sit back there and ride, I didn't know if I was ever going to see my parents again. I didn't know if I was going to die or live another day."

J.L. says the officers told him he would now get the worst of it since his friends got away and drove him to a gravel driveway where J.L. says he was told to get out of the cruiser and walk up to the fence. That's where his handcuffs were removed and the officers told him to put his chin against the fence and count to 100.

They then drove away.

FOX 5 in D.C. has more