By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Tanishia and Allen Harrison, the parents of Zoey Harrison, have filed a lawsuit against Prince George’s County, the Capitol Heights Police Department (CHPD), District Heights Police Department (DHPD) and Larry Naylor following the 3-year-old’s death after a collision during a police chase in March. The legal action came on Dec. 1.
According to the suit, on the evening of March 7, DHPD Sergeant Bryan Stevens tried to pull Naylor over for a missing front license plate. Naylor initially stopped, but then fled— leading the officer to radio the vehicle’s description to dispatch. Shortly thereafter, another Capitol Heights officer and a District Heights officer spotted the car and began pursuing Naylor with their emergency lights and sirens on.
During the chase, Naylor crashed into four other vehicles, including one containing Tanishia and Zoey Harrison that was thrust into a wooded area. The pair were both taken to an area hospital where Zoey was later pronounced dead.
(Photo courtesy of GoFundMe)
“The Harrison family has been shattered by this tragedy. Zoey was a vibrant girl full of potential and deeply loved by her family. Her young life was needlessly cut short because of the negligence of others,” said Terence Davis, an attorney at Morgan and Morgan who is representing the family, and John Morgan, founder of Morgan and Morgan, in a statement sent to the AFRO. “This girl should still be alive. We are committed to holding all entities that contributed to this tragedy accountable and will stop at nothing to seek justice for our client.”
The Harrisons have accused Naylor of negligence and wrongful death and also named Prince George’s County, DHPD and CHPD in their wrongful death claim. In the complaint, they allege that the police departments were negligent in their pursuit and in the supervision, training and retention of their officers. They argue that law enforcement violated their duty of reasonable care by engaging in a high-speed chase in a heavily trafficked area over a minor infraction— a missing front license plate.
Prince George’s County is also included in the negligence charges because it operates and controls DHPD and CHPD.
The lawsuit further asserts that after the crash, officers removed Zoey from her car seat and sat her on the hood of a police cruiser rather than adhering to standard medical protocols— a decision the Harrisons say worsened the toddler’s injuries.
Both CHPD and DHPD did not respond to requests for comment. Prince George’s County told the AFRO it could not comment on pending litigation.
Back in September, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that he would not seek charges against the officers involved in the pursuit, which included Stevens, DHPD Private First-Class Shivesh Butani, CHPD Officer Michael Montgomery. According to a report from his office’s Independent Investigations Division (IID), the officers followed department policy during the pursuit, maintained control of their vehicles and did not create “substantial or unjustifiable risk” to human life.
The IID concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the officers.
Zoey’s tragic death has already spurred calls for reforms to police pursuit policies. On Nov. 17, Prince George’s County Council passed a measure in her honor, Zoey’s Law, which requires annual reporting on all police vehicle pursuits and ensures a uniform policy across the county and its municipalities to improve accountability and public safety.
Councilwoman Krystal Oriadha (District 7) introduced and sponsored the bill in June.
“This legislation is about saving lives,” said Oriadha in a June 16 press release. “Police pursuits are inherently dangerous— not only for officers and suspects but for innocent bystanders. We have a duty to ensure that the decision to engage in a pursuit is guided by sound judgment, best practices and accountability.”
The Harrison family is seeking a judgment in excess of $75,000 against Naylor, Prince George’s County, CHPD and DHPD. They have also started a GoFundMe to seek support during this challenging time.
Zoey’s grandmother, Gina M. Pryor, who started the online fundraiser, said people often referred to the 3-year-old as a “fireball,” because of her energetic and bold personality.
“In her short time with us, Zoey taught us the true meaning of unconditional love and the joy found in simple moments,” wrote Pryor in the GoFundMe post. “Her memory will forever remain in our hearts, a testament to the profound impact one small child can have on the world around her.”
The family is looking to raise $25,000 to cover medical bills and funeral costs and to support Tanishia Robinson, who is currently out of work to recover from her injuries and mourn the loss of her daughter.
