PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — A Prince George's County Police officer arrested for assault and attempted murder has been suspended without pay, according to the police department.
Cpl. David Hardester is facing multiple charges including attempted murder in Charles County and second-degree assault in St. Mary's County. The Prince George's County Police Department offered a few details about what happened.
A preliminary investigation found that Hardester shot at a man he knew using his service weapon around 1 a.m. Friday in Charles County.
According to investigators there, officers responded to the area of Crain Highway in Newburg after the man called police and said Hardester had shot at him. The man told police he and Hardester got into an argument and Hardester fired a single shot while the man was walking to his car.
The man was not hurt. Hardester went to leave, and the man followed him in his car, calling 911 and telling officers where Hardester was. He was eventually stopped in St. Mary's County where he was arrested. Charging documents show Hardester claimed the shooting was an accident.
According to court documents, the victim told police he was expecting to meet up with Hardester at his house to fight because Hardester was aware the other man was talking to his estranged wife.
The two met in a parking lot and the man confronted Hardester. Documents say Hardester fired his gun while still seated in the driver's seat of his truck, through the truck's door.
Hardester has also been charged with second-degree domestic assault for an incident that happened in his St. Mary's County home. The police department did not say what exactly happened at the home.
Hardester is a patrol officer in Prince George's County. He has been with the department for nearly 20 years, joining in 2005.
WUSA9 has reached out to authorities in St. Mary's County to get more details about what happened. We will update this story as soon as we get more information.
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