Charles Co. Charles County Sheriff’s Office / Maryland Attorney General’s Office and Maryland State Police Investigating Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash on St. Charles

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On March 11 at 4:06 a.m., officers responded to a call for a motor vehicle crash in the 3900 block of Pine Cone Circle in Waldorf. When officers arrived, family members reported their relative crashed his car into a parked vehicle, leaving the vehicle unattended in the roadway. The driver was suspected to be under the influence and fled on foot. As officers attempted to locate the driver, the family observed him drive past the scene in his pick-up truck. They alerted officers who then attempted to stop the driver on St. Marks Drive, but the driver accelerated and fled. The driver turned onto St. Charles Parkway and continued driving at a high rate of speed and, within seconds, lost control of his truck and crashed. Officers attempted to render first aid, but it was clear the driver was deceased.

In accordance with Maryland law, the Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) and the Maryland State Police (MSP) were contacted and responded to the scene to lead the investigation, working alongside members of the Sheriff’s Office. The name of the driver will be released by the Attorney General’s IID. Anyone with additional information about this incident should call the Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division at 410-576-7070. The investigation is ongoing.

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March 11th Fatal Police Pursuit in Charles County Dashboard Camera Footage Released

BALTIMORE, MD (March 25, 2022) – The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General today released dashboard camera footage from the fatal police pursuit that occurred on March 11, 2022, in Charles County, Maryland. The decedent was identified as 50-year-old Darell Byrd of Waldorf, Maryland.

The Independent Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police Crash Team, continues to investigate the circumstances of the fatal pursuit. To read the original news release, click here.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: https://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at https://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at https://so.md/expungeme.

 

[Editor]

From Maryland Attorney General:

Fatal Crash Following Attempted Traffic Stop in Charles County Under Investigation

BALTIMORE, MD (March 11, 2022) –The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash following an attempted traffic stop and police pursuit that occurred Friday morning in Charles County.

On March 11, at 4:06 a.m., officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a hit-and-run crash in the 3900 block of Pine Cone Circle in Waldorf. When officers arrived on scene, the driver was no longer there, but a witness provided his identity and vehicle description. At around 4:47 a.m., officers located the same individual driving a pickup truck in the area of St. Marks Drive and attempted to pull him over. The driver, an adult male, failed to stop and led officers on a pursuit along St. Charles Parkway. The driver quickly lost control of his truck and crashed on St. Charles Parkway. The driver suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead on scene. No other vehicles were involved in the crash on St. Charles Parkway.

The IID is investigating this incident with assistance from the Maryland State Police Crash Team.

The IID will generally release the name of the involved officers within 48 hours of the incident, though that period may be extended if an officer is injured, or if there is a specific reason to believe that an officer’s safety is at risk.

The Sheriff’s officers’ dashboard cameras and microphones were activated during the incident. The IID will generally release body camera footage or dashboard camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to redact the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.

 

[Monello]

The human version of a self cleaning oven. I hope you had 1 helluva good time out last night. Because your party days are over.

 

[ironintestines]

Same ol song n dance police brief for Chuck County. I have often thought about starting a "People of Waldorf" website to showcase the retardation of the actions taken by the peeps of the northern sector of the Steny Hoyers coveted district 5. But only in reprisal I give the thought pause. The common denominator is never a surprise.

 

[Editor]

Officers and Driver Identified in Fatal Police Pursuit in Charles County

BALTIMORE (March 14, 2022)- The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General has identified the deceased driver and involved officers in the fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred on March 11 in Charles County. The crash occurred following an attempted traffic stop and police pursuit of the decedent’s vehicle.

The deceased driver has been identified as 50-year-old Darell Byrd of Waldorf, Maryland.

The involved officers have been identified as Officer Kenneth Barry, an 8-year veteran; Officer Shawn Griffith, a 6-year veteran; and Officer Shayne Cannon, a 1.5-year veteran. The officers are assigned to the Patrol Division.

The Independent Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police Crash Team, continues to investigate the circumstances of the fatal pursuit. To read the original news release, click here.

 

[somdadmin]

March 11th Fatal Police Pursuit in Charles County Dashboard Camera Footage Released​

BALTIMORE, MD (March 25, 2022) – The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General today released dashboard camera footage from the fatal police pursuit that occurred on March 11, 2022, in Charles County, Maryland. The decedent was identified as 50-year-old Darell Byrd of Waldorf, Maryland.

The Independent Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police Crash Team, continues to investigate the circumstances of the fatal pursuit. To read the original news release, click here.

 

[somdadmin]

Unfortunately, the poor guy had a history of drunk driving. He pled guilty in June 2021 and got his 2 year sentence downgraded to 2 years of probation. Might be the reason he ran. He would still be alive had he done the jail time. But, who knows, might have happened anyway. Everyone has a life plan.

 

[Editor]

Investigative Report Released for March’s Fatal Police Pursuit in Charles County

BALTIMORE, MD (November 22, 2022)– The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of Attorney General today released its investigative report of the March 11 fatal police pursuit in Charles County.

On March 11, 2022, at 4:06 a.m., officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a hit-and-run crash in the 3900 block of Pine Cone Circle in Waldorf. When officers arrived on scene, the driver, Darell Byrd, was no longer there, but a witness identified the crashed car as Mr. Byrd’s. At around 4:47 a.m., officers located Mr. Byrd driving a pickup truck in the area of Pine Cone Circle and Huntington Woods Drive. Officer Shayne Cannon attempted to pull over Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd initially stopped but then drove away, leading officers on a pursuit along St. Charles Parkway. Officer Cannon, Officer Kenneth Barry, and Officer Shawn Griffith pursued Mr. Byrd. Less than one minute after beginning to flee, Mr. Byrd lost control of the truck and crashed into trees along St. Charles Parkway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

The IID concluded its investigation on September 30 and forwarded its investigative report to the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office on October 3. The Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office notified the IID on November 2 of its decision not to prosecute the case.

The IID’s report contains detailed investigative findings and an analysis of relevant legal issues. Because the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office—not the IID—retains prosecution authority in this case, the report does not make any recommendations as to whether any individual should or should not be charged. A copy of the investigative report can be found here.

By law, the IID’s report must remain confidential until any related prosecution is completed or the State’s Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute. If the local State’s Attorney decides to prosecute the matter, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of a final judgment of all defendants in the case. If the local State’s Attorney declines to prosecute, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of that determination.

 

[Monello]

Byrd flew away, but wasn't able to stick the landing. 0/10.