Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Meziah Johnson
Gender : Male
Age : 23
Race : Black
Date : 12/08/2023
Location : Stony Creek drawbridge
City : Anne Arundel
County : Anne Arundel
State : Virginia
Agency : Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office
Officer(s) :Corporal K. Schnell and Corporal E. Vasquez
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Killed by police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
K. Schnell and Corporal E. Vasquez initiated an unauthorized high-speed pursuit of a sedan traveling at a high rate of speed with its headlights off on the Stoney Creek drawbridge in Pasadena, Maryland. The officers followed the vehicle without activating their emergency lights or sirens and did not notify dispatch or obtain authorization for the pursuit. The chase continued for over three miles, reaching speeds exceeding 100 mph. The pursuit ended when the sedan crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of Fort Smallwood Road and Bar Harbor Road. The passenger, 22-year-old Damione Gardner of Baltimore, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital. Following the incident, both officers made factual misrepresentations and material omissions about their involvement in the pursuit. A subsequent investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Office's Independent Investigations Division led to the indictment.
