Prince George’s County officer returns after brain tumor surgery

Corporal Nashawn Taylor is back on duty in Prince George’s County after brain tumor surgery in September and about eight months of recovery, a return that shows how the department handles long medical absences, fitness checks and specialized assignments.

Taylor’s comeback is not just a personal milestone. She has resumed work that includes community engagement with young people across the county and scuba diving assignments for the department, after passing physical and cognitive evaluations and follow-up MRI checks. She also returned to her job as a Master Captain for her private boating company, adding another layer to a recovery that required months of medical supervision and functional testing.

The department’s process matters in a county where police staffing is a major public responsibility. Prince George’s County Police says it is the fourth largest law enforcement agency in Maryland, with more than 1,500 police officers and 300 civilians serving nearly 900,000 residents and business owners. A return like Taylor’s shows how the agency balances individual recovery with the demands of specialized public-safety work, especially when an officer must be cleared not only to come back, but to handle assignments that can require physical stamina, focus and sound judgment.

Taylor said she leaned on family, friends, colleagues, prayer and her own commitment to staying physically healthy while she healed. That personal support system helped carry her through a period when brain tumor treatment often demands repeated imaging and coordinated care. MedStar Health’s Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center says treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary team, with specialists in neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, neurology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, neuroradiology and neuropathology reviewing cases weekly. That kind of model helps explain why a return to duty after surgery can take months and why departments rely on follow-up testing before putting officers back in the field.

Her current role also connects directly to the county’s youth pipeline. The department’s Community First Division handles community programs, community service, community outreach and youth-oriented programs, including Police Explorers for ages 14 to 21 and a club program for ages 11 to 14. Taylor’s work with young people places her inside that broader effort, where the department is trying to shape relationships long before a 911 call.

Kwesi Dadzie, who has worked with the Prince George’s County Police Department for 22 years, said Taylor’s story has become an inspiration, especially for women in a male-dominated field. In a department that depends on both specialized capability and public trust, her return is a reminder that recovery, clearance and service can intersect without ending a career.