The shooting took place September 1 after Narcotics Detective Carlton Jones, in an unmarked sports utility vehicle, followed Prince Jones from Maryland, through Washington, D.C., and finally into Virginia. The cops claim they had received a tip that Jones's vehicle might be connected to a gun stolen from a Prince George's County police car. No weapon or narcotics were found. According to the detective's attorney, Prince Jones stopped his Jeep Cherokee and confronted the officer tailing him. The cop drew his weapon and told Jones to return to his car. After doing so Jones is alleged to have repeatedly rammed his jeep into the officer's vehicle.

The cop fired 16 rounds into the jeep, striking Jones six times, four of those in the back. Somehow Jones managed to drive away from the scene. His vehicle came to a stop three blocks from the shooting.

"The police story is just that, a story," Robert Caballero, Prince Jones's friend and former roommate told the rally. "If they were following Prince because he had stolen a gun, why would the officer have allowed him to return to his car where there might be a dangerous weapon? Do they really expect us to believe that anyone...would get in and just start to repeatedly ram someone whom they know to be armed?"

Sellano Simmons, president of Howard University student government, Jeffery Johnson of the Youth and College Division of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Michael Atkins of the Community Alliance for Youth Action also spoke. "This is another example of the consequences of racial profiling by the police," said Johnson.

Virginia Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Horan, who will decide whether to file criminal charges against the detective, said no officer had been charged in a police-related shooting in his 32 years as a prosecutor. Horan's reported statements implying that Jones may have been involved in drug trafficking angered many at the rally. According to the September 9 Washington Post, Horan said the detective "followed Jones for pretty good reasons.... There's a lot more of that story than has been reported." Horan also disputed an autopsy report released by Jones's family, which indicated his vehicle was moving away from the detective's car when he was shot.

In the past 13 months Prince George's County cops have shot 12 people, killing five. Two others died of injuries while in police custody.

The students at Howard University have formed the Justice for Prince Committee. The committee can be reached by e-mail at justiceforprince@onebox.com or by calling (202) 777-2647 x3696.