Press Conference Set for Brentwood Shooting Investigation

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m., Feb. 7, 2012 -

The Prince George's County Police Department Inspector General and the police's Director of Media Relations will be holding a press conference this morning to discuss new evidence which contradicts the account of a police-involved shooting in Brentwood this past Friday.

The press conference begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Prince George's County Police Headquarters on Barlowe Road in Palmer Park.

Police say that a video uncovered by the Special Investigative Response Team, which was looking into the incident, does not match up with the reports provided by the two robbery detectives involved in the incident.

The detectives told police investigators that they were attempting to stop two subjects who they thought were about to rob a gas station in the 3800 block of Rhode Island Avenue when a chase and a struggle ensued in which one of the detectives, Cpl. Donald Taylor, fired his weapon at 19-year-old Ryan Keith Dorn. Taylor told police investigators that he believed Dorn was trying to steal his handgun in the struggle.

As a result, the state's attorney's office has been asked to modify the charges against 19-year-old Dorn, who was charged with charged with second degree assault and attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer.

UPDATE - 10:45 p.m. - Officials with the Media Relations Division of the Prince George's County Police Department will be scheduling some sort of media availability for Tuesday morning to clarify the details of a now-muddled story of a police-involved shooting that occurred this past Friday in Brentwood.

"I can't give you anything more than literally what the press release states," said Julie Parker, director of the county police's Media Relations Division. "We will be having someone available tomorrow morning on this."

Investigators looking into the incident say that the sequence of events provided by two detectives involved in the shooting do not match up with a video that shows some portion of the events.

So far police have released no specific details about the discrepancies between the two sequences.

Police had already placed Corporal Donald Taylor on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the incident. Police now say that Taylor and another detective with him at the time of the incident have been suspended. The difference is more than academic. A suspended officer is stripped of all of his police powers for the duration of the suspension. An officer on administrative leave may retain some police powers and duties.

Original story below:

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Two Prince George's County Police detectives have been suspended after investigators with the county's Special Investigation Response Team say new evidence does not support their version of the chain of events surrounding a

Police say they discovered a video which contradicts the

Police say Corporal Donald Taylor, has now been suspended. A second police officer involved in the incident has been suspended as well. A statement issued by police says that the suspensions are effective until the Special Investigative Response Team finishes its investigation.

"As a result of the this discovery, the PGPD has requested the State's Attorney's Office amend the criminal charges against Ryan Keith Dorm," reads a press release issued by county police at 8:45 p.m. on Monday. The nature of how those charges would be amended is not yet known.

The exact nature of the discrepancies between the sequence of events as reported and the sequence of events as shown on the new video is not yet clear. Staff answering the phone at the Prince George's County Police media affairs office were unable to answer questions about the incident, but did say that messages from the media would be forwarded to the appropriate spokesperson for response.

Dorn, a 19-year-old Cottage City Resident, was arrested after the incident and charged with second degree assault and attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer. Earlier today, he was being held by the Department of Corrections in Upper Marlboro.

Initial reports–now discredited to some unknown degree–provided by police detectives involved in the incident described a scene where two men, one of whom was wearing a mask, walked into the Lowest Price Gas station at the 3800 block of Rhode Island Avenue.

According to earlier–and again, apparently innacurate-reports, the detectives said they feared that the men were about to rob the gas station. The detectives then told investigators that they confronted the suspects. At that point, the detectives reported that one of the suspects took a swing at one of the officers before trying to run away. The detectives gave chase, catching up with the Dorn a short distance later. A struggle ensued, and the detectives reported that Dorn tried to grab Taylor's gun.

"Fearing that the suspect was attempting to take control of his firearm, the officer discharged his weapon at the suspect and made the apprehension," according to  a press release issued by the Prince George's County Police Department earlier on Monday.

In an interview before the discrepancies came to light, Cpl. Henry Tippett, public informaton officer with the county police, said that the detective initially thought that Dorn was holding a weapon but had discarded it during the foot chase. Tippett said that no weapon was recovered from the scene.

Police are asking anyone with more information on the incident to provide tips by calling the county's Special Investigation Response Team at 301-856-2260. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477, or by texting "PGPD" plus your message to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone.