Maryland Prosecutors: Jessup Crash Officer Will Not Face Charges

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office determined Thursday that a Howard County police officer will not face criminal charges for his actions during a pursuit that ended in a fatal crash in Jessup. The Independent Investigations Division concluded on Oct. 20 that PFC Amir Parker did not commit a crime under Maryland law in connection with the Sept. 6 incident.

The crash killed Anthony Bowers Jr., 20, a resident of Baltimore who was riding as a passenger in an Infiniti. Two other people in the vehicle were injured. All three occupants were ejected from the car after it struck a concrete retaining wall in the 2100 block of Montevideo Road in Anne Arundel County.

Investigators found that the sequence of events began around 2 a.m. when the Infiniti struck Parker’s unmarked Ford F-150 in a parking lot in the 7100 block of Montevideo Road in Howard County. The driver of the Infiniti stopped briefly before accelerating away. Parker contacted dispatch, received authorization from a supervisor to pursue the vehicle, and then activated his lights and sirens.

The pursuit lasted approximately one minute and covered about one mile along Montevideo Road. According to the Attorney General’s Office, Parker’s vehicle reached speeds of about 80 mph. He maintained radio communication throughout the chase and slowed his speed while clearing an intersection.

An eyewitness told investigators that the driver appeared to lose control after the vehicle crossed railroad tracks. The Infiniti left the roadway and hit the retaining wall. Parker arrived at the scene approximately 20 seconds after the impact and called for emergency medical services.

Bowers was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two occupants were transported to a hospital. The decision to forgo charges marks the end of the state’s review of Parker’s conduct during the high-speed chase.