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Justice Department launches probe of suburban Maryland police department

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department Wednesday announced it has launched a major expansion of its civil rights investigation into alleged misconduct by the troubled Prince George's County, Maryland, Police Department in suburban Washington, D.C.

Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee, the government's chief civil rights enforcer, said the expanded "pattern or practice" investigation will include a review of allegations of excessive force and racially discriminatory law enforcement.

"Although the Justice Department has decided to expand this investigation, it has not yet reached any conclusions in the matter," Lee said.

Civil Rights groups and Rep. Albert Wynn, D-Maryland, had called on the Justice Department to extend its investigation beyond the previous narrow probe of the department's K-9 unit.

Lee is scheduled to address a student assembly at Howard University Friday in the wake of last week's stormy student protest over the shooting death of a part-time student by a Prince George's County police officer.

Nearly 200 student protesters from the historically-black college forced a shutdown of the main entrance to the Justice Department for nearly an hour. Security officials said the students tried to force their way into the building, demanding a meeting with civil rights officials. Lee's meeting with a delegation and his promise of a campus visit calmed the noisy protest.

The students are angered that charges were not filed by a Virginia prosecutor against a Prince George's County police officer who shot and killed Prince Jones after the officer-- Carlton Jones-- followed the man from Maryland into Virginia where the fatal shots were fired. The Prince George's County Police Department said the victim attempted to ram the officer's patrol car. Both the victim and the officer involved are black.

The controversial incident is the latest in a string of cases which have involved allegations against the Prince George's police department.

The previously announced investigation was confined to the Prince George's County K-9 Unit. That examination has so far resulted in two federal indictments. Two police officers are charged with turning a police dog on two suspects already in custody.



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