BOWIE, Md. — A 12-year veteran of the Bowie City Police Department is facing serious criminal charges for shooting at a stranded motorist in September.
Sergeant Robert Warrington has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges, including one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of misconduct in office. These charges were announced during a formal news conference on Thursday.
State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy emphasized the severity of the charges and stated that her office will continue to investigate the incident. She noted that the man who was shot at “was never charged with a crime, never under arrest, and has cooperated fully with the investigation.”
On Sept. 12, police reported that Warrington was on patrol when he stopped to assist what he believed was a stranded motorist at the intersection of Collington Road and John Hanson Highway. Body camera footage shows that as the officer approached the vehicle, a man crossed the median and walked toward the officer. During a brief conversation, the officer asked if the man was there to help the stranded motorist, to which the man replied, "No, she's taking me to the hospital." The man then continued toward the passenger side of the police cruiser, prompting Warrington to fire a round from his service weapon.
Following the shot, Warrington ran up to the man, exclaiming, "You got a gun, you got a gun." The man responded, "No," while a woman present asked, "What did you do? Why did you do that?"
The exchange was captured on video both from the officer's bodycam and the patrol car dashcam, and was played during the news conference, where Warrington could be heard saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" after firing a single shot near the man. The woman then shouted back that "he was just getting his hat from the side of the road."
Braveboy remarked that the footage "speaks for itself" and reiterated that "the law applies to everyone."
In addition to the criminal charges, Sgt. Warrington has been suspended without pay. He is currently not in custody, and it remains unclear when he will next appear in court.
Bowie Police Chief Dwayne A. Preston released a statement Thursday evening that says, in part:
"I support the grand jury's independent objective process. Sgt. Warrington will be suspended without pay. In keeping with my statement to the community on September 23, 2024, I agreed to release the vehicle and body-worn camera footage to the public after consulting with the State’s Attorney’s Office, even though our policy doesn’t require me to do so.
I want to thank the community for their patience and support throughout this investigation. The members of the Bowie Police Department remain committed to serving this community. I thank Chief Aziz and the Prince George’s County Police Department Special Investigation Response Team (S.I.R.T.) for their professionalism and assistance with this investigation.
We would ask the public to reserve judgment until the process has been completed."
WARNING: The video below depicts a scene that could be traumatizing for viewers, as a gun was fired at a person. No one was shot.
