Jun 30, 2008 2:56 pm US/Eastern
Suspect In Police Death Found Dead In Cell
LAUREL, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
-
-
Corporal Richard Findley was killed Friday after being hit by a pick-up truck.
Police hope an autopsy will shed light on how a teenager accused of killing a veteran police officer from Carroll County died a day after being charged with the officer's murder.
Mary Bubala reports police and the state's attorney's office promise a full investigation into the mysterious death of the suspect.
Police locked up 19-year-old Ronnie White on Friday. But Sunday morning officers found him dead on the floor of his prison cell. How we died is unclear. Prison officials say there were no obvious signs of injury.
"Certainly there was no cloth or rope or material there tied around his neck. There were no cuts on his wrists or anything. We're not sure at this particular time," said Col. Gregory Harris.
White faced first-degree murder charges in the death of 39-year-old Prince George's County Police Cpl. Richard Findley.
On Friday in Laurel, police say Cpl. Findley was staked out, watching a parked stolen car at an apartment complex on Laurel-Bowie Road.
Two men got into the car, and Findley tried to stop them with his squad car.
That's when police say White, the driver of the stolen car, rammed Findley's car.
"It appears that the officer fired his weapon at the vehicle. The subjects in the vehicle drove forward striking Officer Findley and dragged him a number of yards," said Harris.
Findley died of his injuries.
Police chased the suspects to a nearby shopping center. One suspect was caught there. Another was caught in an apartment behind the shopping center. White was taken to lock up.
"He was not in the general population. He was in maximum security where he was observed every half an hour," said Harris.
An autopsy is underway to determine how the prisoner died. He was facing first-degree murder charges for the officer's death.
Findley's death is a huge loss for the Beltsville Fire Department where Findley's wife also worked as a paramedic. It's also a devastating blow to the Prince George's County Police Department.
"A really hard-working, go-getter, so he wanted to keep the community safe and serve the citizens of the county, you know. This is a very unfortunate thing. This is the kind of critical element that we deal with in the county, and it's sad," said Harris.
Officer Findley was part of the department's Special Assignment Team. One of his close friends and fellow Special Assignment team members, Cpl. Steven Gaughen, died three years ago after a gun battle with a suspect.
Findley's family is preparing for his burial as they mourn.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
