First Class Bryan Strong: A grand jury indicted a Prince George’s County Police Officer. Police Officer First Class Bryant Strong faces second-degree assault, misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment charges stemming from a 2019 traffic stop in Oxon Hill.
On October 17, 2019, POFC Strong responded to the traffic stop in the 4700 block of Wheeler Road to back-up a fellow officer. During that stop, officers made the decision to arrest the driver after discovering he was driving on a suspended license. As POFC Strong was searching the handcuffed suspect before placing him in a cruiser, a brief struggle ensued and the officer took him to the ground. As the suspect was brought to the ground, he suffered a critical injury.
“The injuries the suspect suffered are tragic and the entire department’s hearts are heavy regarding the outcome that day. We respect the grand jury’s decision and now await the outcome of the criminal trial,” said Interim Chief Hector Velez.
In light of the criminal charges facing POFC Strong, his police powers are now suspended.
POFC Strong joined the agency in 2013 and is assigned to the Bureau of Patrol.
Corporal Luis Aponte: A Prince George’s County grand jury indicted a suspended Prince George’s County Police officer. Corporal Luis Aponte faces one count of felony theft and two counts of misconduct in office. He is now suspended without pay.
Aponte, who was on a discretionary suspension in June of 2019, which prohibited him from working secondary employment, is accused of clocking into a secondary employment job and then leaving that workplace during his assigned shift. He’s also accused of clocking in when he was not scheduled to work. Another officer saw Aponte at the secondary employment work site and notified his commander. Aponte’s commander then notified the Internal Affairs Division. Aponte is accused of carrying out this secondary employment misconduct for approximately one month.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division then brought its investigation to the State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
“This investigation is yet another example of a fellow officer observing potential misconduct and it being brought to the attention of our Internal Affairs Division. We are committed to the highest standards and when any officer doesn’t meet those standards, we will hold him or her accountable,” said Interim Chief Hector Velez.
Aponte originally joined the PGPD in 1998 and left in 2004 to join another law enforcement agency.
In 2005, he returned to the PGPD. At the time of his suspension, Aponte was assigned to the Bureau of Investigation.
