PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Two Calvert County men were arrested last month after allegedly fleeing a traffic stop in a pickup truck with a loaded handgun inside, according to charging documents filed in Calvert District Court.
Edward Sidney Coates, 67, of Prince Frederick, and Rex Eugene Jones, 64, of Owings, were both taken into custody by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office following a pursuit on the night of April 28, 2025. Court records indicate the traffic stop began around 9:42 p.m. near the intersection of Clay Hammond Road and Dares Beach Road.
According to a statement of probable cause, a sheriff’s deputy was patrolling eastbound on Dares Beach Road when he encountered a white Chevrolet pickup that allegedly crossed a double-yellow line at high speed, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with the deputy’s marked cruiser. The driver reportedly accelerated after passing the patrol vehicle and initially refused to stop when the deputy activated lights and sirens.
The pickup allegedly continued several hundred yards, turning onto Clay Hammond Road and slowly pulling over, but not fully complying with commands. Officers said they observed the occupants moving inside the vehicle and refusing to keep their hands visible, prompting a felony stop.
The driver, identified as Jones, eventually exited the vehicle and was detained. The passenger, Coates, was also detained at the scene. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded silver Harrington & Richardson revolver on the passenger-side floorboard, containing five live rounds and one spent casing.
Police say neither Coates nor Jones admitted to knowing the weapon was in the vehicle. Both were reportedly intoxicated at the time, with the odor of alcohol present, and each told police they had been drinking earlier in the evening. Jones claimed Coates had joined him at his farm for drinks and that they were headed to a local market for more beer.
Maryland Gun Center personnel later confirmed that both men are prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions. The revolver was not registered to either of them.
Coates is charged with four misdemeanor firearm offenses, including carrying and transporting a loaded handgun in a vehicle. Jones faces the same four charges, plus two additional counts for illegal firearm and ammunition possession by a prohibited person. Both men were released on their own recognizance and are scheduled to appear for trial on May 29, 2025, at Calvert District Court.
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