Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced that Brandon Hardy, 26, of Annapolis was sentenced to 15 years of active incarceration and is subject to an additional five years which were suspended for 13 charges including two counts of second degree assault against Anne Arundel County Police Officers Saifedlin Hussain and James Yee as well as a litany of felony drug charges for possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances.
The defendant is subject to an additional five years of incarceration if he violates probation.
A jury found the defendant guilty of the charges on July 7, 2022.
“With this sentence, the defendant will be spending many years in prison and will no longer be a danger to law enforcement officers or our community,” said State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess. “I would like to thank Officer Hussain and Yee for their dedication to keeping our streets safe and grateful that no one was severely injured during this incident.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Marot Williamson prosecuted this case on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County.
On September 3, 2021, Anne Arundel County police officers responded to the area of Mountain
Road and Route 10 for a report of a car accident in which the driver of a silver Honda Civic, later identified as the defendant, Brandon Hardy, fled the scene. Witnesses stated Hardy briefly returned to the vehicle to retrieve some objects before running away.
On the scene, police learned that two vehicles, a grey Ford Mustang and a black Kia sport utility vehicle, were attempting to turn left from the Route 10 off-ramp onto Mountain Road when the defendant’s Civic ran a red light and struck both the Mustang and the Kia.
The occupants of the Mustang and the Kia, which included young children, were not injured.
The passenger in the defendant’s vehicle remained on the scene and advised officers of the name of the defendant and that he had taken her cell phone before running away. The passenger’s family member arrived on scene and used an app to locate the passenger’s phone which pinged to a local fast food restaurant.
Officers then responded there and located the defendant but he refused to identify himself. A witness from the accident was brought to the location and positively identified the defendant as Brandon Hardy. After the defendant was arrested and handcuffed, he attempted to run away. He was quickly apprehended and became extremely uncooperative.
A large number of officers were required to place the defendant in the police vehicle to be transported for booking. During the struggle, the defendant bit Officer Yee on the leg and attempted to bite Officer Hussain’s arm. Neither officer sustained serious injuries and did not require medical treatment.
Officers observed the defendant clutching a large amount of drugs, which they had to pry out of his hands. These substances were later tested and found to be approximately 29 grams of fentanyl and over 40 grams of cocaine. The defendant was also in possession of a digital scale and more than $400 in cash. A search of the defendant’s vehicle revealed about 15 grams of marijuana and 30 Suboxone strips.
The Honorable William Mulford presided over the case.
