LA PLATA, Md. — Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced on June 11, 2025, that his office will not pursue criminal charges against Charles County or La Plata police officers involved in a fatal crash that followed a high-speed interstate pursuit in December 2024.
The incident began on December 3, 2024, at around 3:37 a.m., when a deputy from Virginia’s King George County Sheriff’s Office initiated a pursuit of a Kia sedan suspected in a robbery. The chase crossed the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Maryland minutes later, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph with the suspect vehicle’s lights turned off.
Charles County and La Plata officers were alerted and responded by deploying Stop Sticks — tire deflation devices — along U.S. Route 301 near La Plata. According to the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID), all three Maryland officers followed department policies and radioed their deployment locations. The Kia struck two sets of Stop Sticks but continued at over 100 mph.
At approximately 3:53 a.m., the Kia ran a red light at the intersection of Route 301 and Port Tobacco Road and rear-ended a Honda SUV turning into the roadway. The impact sent both vehicles spinning before coming to rest on opposite sides of the highway.
Officers on the scene quickly began rendering aid. The Honda driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The two juveniles in the Kia were critically injured. The driver was treated and released, while the passenger died of his injuries three days later, on December 6, 2024.
The IID’s report, released June 11, concluded that the officers’ actions — including their use of Stop Sticks — did not amount to gross negligence under Maryland law. Prosecutors specifically reviewed potential charges of involuntary manslaughter and found insufficient evidence to proceed.
“There is no evidence to indicate that the subject officers’ conduct demonstrated a wanton and reckless disregard for human life,” the report stated.
The investigation did not consider the actions of the Virginia deputy or potential civil liability, as the IID’s jurisdiction is limited to Maryland law enforcement.
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