Autumn Ophelia Brown, 38, of White Plains
Autumn Ophelia Brown, 38, of White Plains, is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and trespass at a public agency during business hours following an incident on April 4, 2026 in Waldorf, according to court documents filed in the District Court for Charles County. Additional traffic-related charges were issued separately.
According to a statement of probable cause filed by PFC Johnson of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, officers were conducting an area check near Shark Bar & Seafood House on Crain Highway when they were flagged down by employees.
The manager told officers that “a female patron had become disorderly inside the establishment and refused to leave after being told numerous times to do so.”
The officer wrote that while speaking with Brown, he “detected strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath” and observed that “she was yelling, acting disorderly, and causing patrons to leave the business.”
He further stated he “observed her eyes to be watery, her facial expressions to appear sluggish and drowsy, and her speech to be thick-tongued and slurred.” The report added, “Based on my training, knowledge, and experience, these are recognized indicators of alcohol impairment. Alcohol is central nervous system depressant that impairs judgment, coordination, reaction time, and the ability to safely operate motor vehicle.”
According to the report, Brown “refused to continue speaking with officers and walked directly to her vehicle,” described as a white Toyota sedan. The officer stated that he observed her “enter the drivers seat, start the vehicle, and attempt to drive out of the parking lot.” He wrote, “Based on my observations of her physical condition, demeanor, and the information provided by the manager regarding her disorderly behavior inside the bar, I believed she was under the influence of alcohol and was attempting to operate motor vehicle while impaired.”
The officer reported that he stopped the vehicle on Crain Highway and observed that Brown “was not restrained by a seatbelt.” According to the document, “I requested her drivers license and registration, and she provided her drivers license before rolling up the vehicle window.”
The report continues, “When ordered to exit the vehicle, she refused to comply. Officers checked the vehicle and determined it was unlocked. She then exited the vehicle on her own power.”
The charging documents state that Brown was asked to complete field sobriety testing but “refused to participate in any Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.” The officer wrote that she then stated “words to the effect of, ‘Take me to jail.’” He added that based on her behavior and physical condition, there was probable cause to believe she was “operating motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or while impaired by alcohol.”
During the arrest, the officer stated, “While officers were attempting to place her into custody, she attempted to pull her arm away from officers.” The report says she was then secured and placed in a patrol vehicle. It further states she was read her rights and that when officers attempted to determine whether she would submit to a breath test, “she refused to provide officers with response, which I recognized as refusal.”
The officer concluded, “Based on my observations of the defendant’s strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, watery eyes, sluggish and drowsy demeanor, thick-tongued and slurred speech, disorderly behavior at the bar, her decision to enter, start, and operate motor vehicle, her refusal to obey commands, refusal to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, and refusal to provide breath sample, I had probable cause to believe the defendant was operating motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or while impaired by alcohol in Charles County, Maryland.”
Additional charging documents allege that Brown “did willfully act in disorderly manner to the disturbance of the public peace” and “did resist the lawful arrest and apprehension by passively resisting attempting to snatch her arms away from officers.” A separate count states she “did refuse to leave Shark Bar…during regular business hours upon being requested to do so by an authorized employee…[and] was acting in a manner disruptive of and disturbing to the conduct of normal business.”
Following her arrest, Brown was transported to the Charles County Detention Center “without further incident,” according to the report. All events were reported to have occurred in Charles County.
