UPDATE: Former State Trooper Sentenced to 3 Months of Home Detention for Assault on Teens with Handgun

October 29, 2018
Joseph L. Greenwell

Joseph L. Greenwell, 39, of Dameron

UPDATE 10/29/2018: Joseph L. Greenwell, 39, of Dameron plead guilty to impersonating a police officer and second-degree assault.

On Monday, October 22, 2018, Judge M. Brooke Murdock, imposed an 18-month jail sentence, suspended to 3 months of home detention and two years of probation.

Greenwell was sentenced to home detention for his guilty plea to misdemeanor charges from the confrontation last year at the Rod and Reel convenience store on Three Notch Road, in Lexington Park.

Greenwell was with the Maryland State Police from 2000 to 2004,

10/7/2017: Joseph Linehan Greenwell, 38, of Dameron, was indicted by the Grand Jury for Saint Mary’s County, on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

Greenwell, was a Maryland State Trooper stationed at the Leonardtown Barrack from 2000 to 2004.

Greenwell is accused of pulling a handgun on three individuals (age 16,17 & 21) at the Rod and Reel on Three Notch Road, in Lexington Park, and identifying himself as “TFC Greenwell”

A mother of one of those involved in the incident posted a short video and the following statement on Facebook, on August 7, 2017:

The video shows him putting the gun back in his holster.

The man in this video pulled a gun on my son and his friends at Rod-n-Reel gas station Wednesday night. He ran towards the car with a gun pointed at them and told them to turn their music down. He lead them to believe he was a police officer while he was leaning in the car pointing a gun asking for their names and addresses. XXXX said he could smell alcohol on the man. I have been told the state police are handling this case but I have yet to be contacted by anyone. You would think it would be taken serious when you have a lunatic running around threatening kids with a gun. It seems like they would reach out to the parents of the minor kids involved. Does anyone recognize this man? He got into a white Chevy SUV with a pink emblem. 

Court documents indicate Greenweel has cooperated with the investigating authorities, and surrendered the firearm used in the incident.

Greenwell is scheduled to appear in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court on Monday, October 16, 2017, for his initial appearance hearing.

There is no booking photo available of Greenwell because he was he was charged by a criminal summons.