Philip Chandler, 49, of Alexandria, Virginia
On Thursday, July 20, 2017 Deputy Fennessey of the St. Mary’s County Sherriff’s Office responded to downtown Leonardtown for a reported traffic incident with a gun involved.
Deputy Fennessey met with the victim who stated he observed a male operating a black pick-up truck, remove a shotgun from the rear of his vehicle and place it on the front passenger’s seat. The victim stated he had been traveling Northbound on Fenwick street. When he observed the pickup truck stopped in the travel portion of the roadway near Camp Calvert road, blocking the travel lane on Fenwick street. The victim observed the pickup truck driver standing outside of his vehicle near the driver’s door. The Pickup truck driver was later identified as Philip Chandler, 49, of Alexandria, Virginia.
The victim advised he was forced to drive off of the travel portion of the roadway onto the shoulder in order to continue traveling on Fenwick street. While the victim was passing Chandler’s truck, he observed the Chandler reaching behind the front seat of the truck, and Chandler removed a soft gun case. The victim stated the case was unzipped and he observed a shotgun inside of the case with approximately six shotgun shells in an elastic buttstock shell holder. Chandler then placed the shotgun on the front passenger’s seat of the vehicle, with the muzzle pointed toward the passenger’s door.
The victim then continued north on Fenwick street, and he pulled over onto the shoulder of the Washington street. The victim then observed handler pull up next to his vehicle. Chandler then looked at the victim, and shook his head before continuing onto Washington street. The victim stated he felt concerned for his own safety as well as the safety of the public in the town of Leonardtown due to his observations of Chandler.
Deputy Fennessey located the vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, in the rear parking lot of the Old Town Pub. During Deputy Fennessey’s preliminary investigation he observed a shotgun in plain view on the passenger’s seat of the truck, and he could see the firearm was loaded. Deputies entered the old town pub and located Chandler.
Chandler stated, he was the operator of the Toyota truck in question. When Deputies advised Chandler, there was an ongoing investigation in relation to a shotgun being located in the front passenger’s seat of the vehicle. Chandler stated, “he knew his rights” and asked, “if that was illegal.” Deputies placed Chandler under arrest, and in the rear of a patrol vehicle. Chandler became verbally abusive and threatening towards the Deputies. Chandler was frequently cursing and told Deputies numerous times he would find them “on the street” and “smoke” them. Chandler’s truck was towed from the old town pub.
A search of the truck revealed a Remington 870, 20 gauge shotgun with one shell in the chamber, and four shells in the magazine tube
Chandler was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center, where he continued to be uncooperative and threatening.
Chandler was given a preliminary breath test by the Detention Center staff which showed his breath alcohol concentration to be 0.23.
Chandler was charged with one count of possessing a loaded shotgun in an automobile and one count of hindering the free passage of another in a public place.
Philip Chandler, 49, of Alexandria, Virginia
