Silverman Thompson Partner Andy White Gains Major Victory in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court – All Charges Against Prince Georges County Police Officer are Dropped on the Eve of Trial

Silverman Thompson Partner Andy White scored a high stakes victory in a high profile criminal case against a Prince Georges County police officer when prosecutors with the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped all charges on the eve of trial. The Police officer had been charged with felony 1st Degree Assault and Use of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence stemming from an incident in which the off-duty officer pulled his firearm in an encounter with a tow truck driver in Anne Arundel County. The Officer was suspended without pay and faced the loss of a successful 9-year career in law enforcement. The encounter, which was caught entirely on tape, spurred prosecutors to charge the officer with multiple felony counts, including a charge carrying a minimum mandatory 5-year sentence. White launched an aggressive defense centered on showing that the alleged victim of the crime was actually the aggressor and that the police officer was justified in pulling his weapon. White also utilized the services of a nationally known expert in the area of police shootings and use of force by police officers. The expert concluded that the officer was justified in drawing his weapon in the encounter with the tow truck operator. Using the video tape, the expert’s report, and extensive interviews of witnesses to the incident, White convinced prosecutors that the Officer had not committed an assault or committed any crime. In dismissing the charges, prosecutors agreed that evidence provided to them by White and his team led them to re-evaluate their case and ultimately to dismiss all charges.