Officers Recover Stolen Firearm after Suspect Flees during Attempted Traffic Stop 

September 15, 2021

On September 14 at 1:30 a.m., a patrol officer was in the area of Smallwood Drive at St. Charles Parkway when a computer check alerted him that the registration plate on a Nissan sedan that was being operated in front of him did not belong on that car and was actually registered to a Kia. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver accelerated and fled. The driver continued fleeing and subsequently struck several curbs bringing his car to a stop near Pembrooke Square. The driver exited the car with a gun in his hand and threw it across a parking lot. He was apprehended without further incident and the gun, which was loaded, was safely recovered. The driver had a small amount of suspected marijuana and several suspected narcotic pills in his pocket. Further investigation revealed the firearm had been reported stolen during a breaking and entering that occurred last year. In addition, the vehicle the suspect was driving was unregistered. Sean Devon Strozier, 23, of Waldorf, was charged with possession of a stolen firearm, loaded handgun in a vehicle, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and traffic violations. The investigation is continuing.