CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced Tuesday that his office will not file criminal charges against a Calvert County sheriff’s deputy involved in a fatal crash that occurred during a police pursuit last November in Chesapeake Beach.
The decision follows a detailed investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID), which examined the circumstances surrounding the death of 36-year-old Justin Foreman of Oxon Hill. Foreman was killed on the night of Nov. 16, 2024, when his vehicle crashed following a high-speed pursuit by Deputy First Class Taylor Strong.
According to the IID report, Foreman was driving a gold Ford Mustang southbound on Route 261 at a high rate of speed around 8:50 p.m. when he passed Deputy Strong, who was conducting traffic enforcement near 17th Street. The deputy initiated a pursuit with lights and sirens activated, following the Mustang for approximately 1.6 miles. Witnesses and dispatch records confirmed the vehicle had been swerving into oncoming traffic and traveling up to 115 mph in posted 30–40 mph zones.
The pursuit ended near the intersection of Route 261 and Locust Grove Road, where Foreman lost control, crossed the double yellow line, struck a utility pole, and was ejected from the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later found a blood alcohol content of 0.20% and noted that Foreman was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The IID reviewed police body-worn camera footage, dispatch logs, crash scene data, and departmental policies. The report concluded that Deputy Strong’s actions during the pursuit complied with Calvert County Sheriff’s Office policy and that he maintained control of his vehicle throughout the incident. Investigators also found no evidence that the deputy’s pursuit created a substantial or unjustifiable risk to human life.
Under Maryland law, criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle requires proof that the driver acted in a way that grossly deviated from the conduct of a reasonable person. The Attorney General’s Office determined that this legal threshold was not met in the case.
“This report has presented factual findings, legal analysis, and conclusions relevant to the November 16, 2024, police-involved death,” the office stated. “Based on the evidence obtained, the subject officer did not commit a crime.”
The investigation was officially closed on May 29, 2025.
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Did they check the tension of the officer’s shoelaces? Foreman’s family could be entitled statues and big money if one lace was longer than the other.