PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — A federal civil rights trial is set to begin in Maryland on Monday. One of the lawyers trying the case said it could set a critical precedent for police accountability.

Mohamed Magassouba was a former Prince George's County police officer for 12 years. His lawyer said he was forced out of his job because he refused to cover up police brutality.

Magassouba's attorney, Jordan Howlette, said the termination stemmed from an incident in 2019 that was captured on a cell phone. It showed Magassouba responding as backup to assist a white officer who was arresting a black woman in Prince George's County.

"They tried to coerce him into changing his witness statement that he made that night, to justify the use of force that is reflected in the video, to protect the wh

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