Estate Sues Police, County Over 3 Year Old Child's Fatal Crash

The estate of 3 year old Zoey Harrison filed suit on December 3 in Prince George's County Circuit Court naming the Capitol Heights Police Department, the District Heights Police Department, Prince George's County, and the driver the officers were pursuing. The complaint alleges negligence and failures in training and supervision, and contends that officers initiated a high speed pursuit over a low level traffic matter, a missing tag, creating a foreseeable danger that resulted in Zoey's death.

The filing was served in early December and seeks damages consistent with the procedural limits for this type of claim. The suit follows a grand jury indictment earlier this year of the driver accused of fleeing from police prior to the crash. County leaders have already taken steps to address pursuit policy, with the County Council introducing Zoey's Law to align municipal pursuit policies with county standards.

For residents of Prince George's County the lawsuit brings immediate and practical stakes. Civil litigation could expose municipalities to financial liability and place renewed pressure on local police departments to change training, supervision, and pursuit practices. Families and community groups who have called for safer policing practices will be watching the case as a potential avenue to force policy changes through both legal accountability and political pressure.

The case also fits within a broader national conversation about the risks of high speed police pursuits in densely populated areas, particularly when low level infractions or traffic equipment violations are involved. Municipalities across the region and the country have grappled with how to balance officer safety, the need to apprehend suspects, and the protection of bystanders and vehicle occupants.

Procedurally the lawsuit will proceed through the Prince George's County Circuit Court, where the estate will seek damages within the limits the law allows. The filing is likely to prompt further review of pursuit protocols at the municipal level, and to test whether recent legislative efforts such as Zoey's Law will result in tangible changes to policing practices that affect daily safety on county roads.