Prince Jones
Birth date:
March 30, 1975
Death date:
September 1, 2000
Age at Death:
25
About
Prince Jones was born in Fairfax County, Virginia in 1975 to Dr. Mabel Jones and Prince C. Jones Sr. He had an infant daughter named Nina with his fiancé Candace Carson. Jones attended Howard University and worked as a personal trainer at a Washington D.C. gym. He was getting ready to join the Navy.
On September 1, 2000 Jones was driving on his way to visit his fiancé when two undercover Maryland police officers from Prince George Countyin unmarked vehicles began following him. The officers followed Jones 16 miles from Hyattsville, Maryland to Fairfax County, Virginia. One of the undercover officers followed Prince Jones to a residential street, Spring Terrace. Jones stopped to get out of his car and identify himself and the undercover officer did the same and flashed his gun. Jones then got back into his car, hit the officers vehicle, and in response the officers fired shots at him.
Prince Jones was hit with six bullets and was able to drive off a short distance before he crashed a few feet away from the house of his fiancé. He later died at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Witnesses stated that Prince Jones did NOT move his vehicle at all.
Was justice served?
As of February 2021 justice has not been served. In October of 2000 the Fairfax County Attorney refused to file criminal charges. In January of 2006, a civil court for Prince George's County found that Prince Jones' death by the Prince George’s County police was wrongful and was a result of a failed criminal justice system. Prince’s daughter Nina was awarded $2.5 million in damages. Note: You can read more about Prince Jones' death in Ta-Nehisi Coates' book Between the World and Me.