LA PLATA, Md. (June 25, 2010) - The Charles County Sheriff's Office released the following incident and arrest reports.
FIRST-DEGREE ASSAULT/DEPARTMENTAL SHOOTING: On June 24 at 1:38 a.m., a Charles County Sheriff's officer initiated a traffic stop on Route 301 near Smallwood Drive. As the officer approached the car, a female driver exited the car and a male passenger moved into the driver's seat and sped off. A computer check revealed the car - a Chevrolet Malibu - had been stolen from Howard County. The officer pursued the car to the area of Route 301 and Mitchell Road where the Maryland State Police deployed stop sticks. The tires on the car were punctured but the man continued to flee. He crossed over the median near Hawthorne Road and continued driving south in the northbound lanes. Sheriff's officers used a rolling roadblock to try to stop the suspect but he hit two police cars in an attempt to escape. The vehicle eventually struck a curb and stopped. An officer - who was on foot - approached the car at which point the suspect began accelerating in an attempt to move forward. An assisting officer - who saw the car moving toward the officer - feared the arresting officer was about to be hit and discharged his firearm. The suspect was not struck and was subsequently apprehended after a brief struggle. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for a minor injury. He will face charges of first-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic offenses. The female, 35, of Waldorf, was located at a nearby shopping center and arrested. She will be charged with theft of a motor vehicle. The investigation is continuing.
FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION: On June 23 at 2:28 p.m., Charles County Sheriff's officers responded to the area of Mitchell Road at Carmelite Drive in La Plata for the report of a motor vehicle crash. A preliminary investigation revealed the driver of a Ford Crown Victoria was traveling east on Mitchell Road when he lost control of the car and struck a tree. The passenger, Nathan Wayne Fiske, 16, of La Plata, died on the scene. The driver, 19, of North Carolina, was flown to a hospital where he was admitted with life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash is still under investigation but speed appears to be a contributing factor.