UPPER MARLBORO — The plainclothes police officer who died in a chaotic shootout at a police station in Prince George's County was shot deliberately by a fellow officer who did not recognize him and viewed him as an armed threat, the county's police chief said Wednesday.

Chief Hank Stawinski, speaking to reporters outside the Prince George's County courthouse, was careful not to speculate about the state of mind of the unidentified officer who fired on Officer Jacai Colson on Sunday afternoon outside a police station in Landover. But he said it was clear that the officer feared for his life.

“I don't believe for a second that our officer intentionally fired at another police officer,” Stawinski said.

Three brothers who live near the police station have been charged in the gunfight. Police have described it as an attempt by the suicidal oldest brother, 22-year-old Michael Ford, to provoke officers into killing him.

Police say Ford was driven to the station by his two younger brothers and began firing at the building and at passing vehicles, causing officers to return fire. Ford fired more than 20 shots, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.

Police said Ford's brothers aided him before and during the shootout and used their cellphones to record video of the gunfight. They also recorded video of Michael Ford offering a “last will and testament,” police said.

A judge denied bail Wednesday afternoon for Ford's brothers, Malik Ford, 21, and Elijah Ford, 18, in a dramatic hearing that included emotional pleas on their behalf by their father and several other relatives.

Malik Ford, who appeared in court via closed-circuit television, collapsed while listening to his relatives. Some of his family members wept as he was treated by medical personnel, and the hearing resumed a few minutes later, with Ford seated in a chair.

The relatives tried to distance Malik and Elijah from Michael's actions, saying they were not armed and their involvement was minimal.

Elijah “didn't pull the trigger,” said their father, Michael Thomas. “My son is excellent. He's a great person.”

After bail was denied for Elijah Ford, his sister, Ebony Howard, blurted out to District Judge Robert W. Heffron Jr., “Do you all have any incriminating evidence against him?”

Heffron informed her that it was the job of prosecutors to gather evidence against defendants.

Another relative, who did not identify herself in court, said, “Elijah was not seeking YouTube celebrity.”

She argued that he recorded video of the shooting because he was concerned no one would believe what had happened.

The relatives declined to comment after the hearing. They were represented by a public defender, Kevin Valdez, who declined to comment or to identify who had spoken.

Colson, a 28-year-old narcotics detective, was wearing street clothes and responded to the shooting from a different location than the other officers, according to charging documents.

Colson was black. Police have not revealed the races of the other officers involved in the shootout. State's Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks said her office would investigate every aspect of the shooting, including whether race was a factor.

Michael Ford faces more than two dozen charges, including second-degree murder. Malik and Elijah face charges including attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Alsobrooks has said the brothers, who were not armed, could also be charged under Maryland's felony murder law, which applies to people who participate in a felony that results in a homicide.