Darius Elijah Cooper, 20, of Waldorf
On Thursday, April 18, 2019, at approximately 11:20 p.m., Deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a silver Pontiac Grand Am for traffic violations when the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed.
The officer, which was parked stationary in the area of St. Charles Parkway and Rosewick Road in a marked police cruiser, noticed a passenger car traveling northbound on St. Charles Parkway which -Failed to have an adequately lit registration plate. As police approached the vehicle, they confirmed there were no lights illuminating the registration plate.
Police initiated their emergency lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Pontiac Grand Am, in the area of St. Charles Parkway and St. Luke Drive. The vehicle continued to travel northbound on St. Charles Parkway passing St. Luke Drive. The vehicle failed to stop, made a U-Turn just after St. Luke Drive and continued southbound on St. Charles Parkway.
While pursuing the vehicle, a black backpack was thrown out of the passenger side window just prior to St. Luke Drive.
The vehicle came to a stop at the end of Spyglass court. Police observed two black males exit from both the driver and passenger side of the vehicle and begin to flee on foot, into the woods. Officers immediately identified the driver of the vehicle as a black male, approximately 18-25 years of age, short hair, and red shorts underneath his pants.
Dispatchers were given a description of the suspects so other Officers could assist in finding the suspect(s). Multiple Officers arrived on scene moments later and continued into the wooded area where the suspects were seen running into. The search yielded negative results and a perimeter was set around Sheffield neighborhood by several other Officers.
K-9 Officer Blake arrived on scene and began a K-9 track through the woods in the nearby area. After approximately 2 hours of searching with the K-9 and other Officers, the defendant was located behind on Sheffield Circle in a densely wooded area which is a few hundred yards from where the male fled from his vehicle. Deputies responded to the location where the pursuing Officer observed the operator throw the bookbag from the vehicle and found it. Inside the bookbag, the officers located approximately half of a pound of suspected marijuana, 12 unused glassine bags, two digital scales, a portion of a black plastic bag, a used heat sealed open plastic bag, used plastic bags, and rolling papers.
Deputies also located a Smith and Wesson .9mm handgun, 1 magazine, and 9 rounds of ammunition. The handgun was also loaded at the time it was located.
The male was placed under arrest at approximately 1:00 a.m. and was identified as Darius Elijah Cooper, 20, of Waldorf.
While speaking with Cooper, police immediately noticed he was wearing red shorts underneath his pants and was approximately 18-21 years of age. Upon taking custody of Cooper, he asked a deputy if he was the guy “chasing him” and asked, “why were you trying to pull me over.”
While conducting a search incident to arrest Cooper asked an office if I wanted to buy his car because it was for sale.
Cooper was transported to the Charles County Detention Center.
A wallet was recovered from Cooper’s pants pocket and revealed a Maryland Provisional driver’s license for Cooper and the vehicle was registered to Darius Elijah Cooper.
Darius Elijah Cooper, 20, of Waldorf
