On
June 10, 2014, at approximately 6:58 a.m., officers from the Northern District
responded to a parking lot in the 700 block of E. Ordnance Road in Curtis Bay
for a report of an individual with a gun.
Upon
arrival, officers spoke with the parties involved, the 47-year-old male victim
and the suspect, identified as off-duty Prince George’s County Police Officer
Joey Torres. Officers learned that the victim was traveling on I-97 when he
observed a Chevrolet Equinox being operated by Torres in the left lane passing
traffic. The victim moved behind the vehicle to keep up with traffic. The
victim reported that the suspect slowed his vehicle down, resulting in the
victim passing him. After a short distance, the victim reported that the
suspect started driving behind him and following him. The victim later traveled
onto I-695E to get to Ordnance Road when he observed the Equinox behind him
again. At that time, the victim pulled his Volkswagen Passat into a parking lot
in the 700 block of E. Ordnance Road and the suspect followed him into that
lot.
At
one point, the victim went to turn his vehicle around to exit the parking lot,
but the suspect used his vehicle to block him from leaving, exited his vehicle
and retrieved a gun from the trunk of his vehicle. According to independent
witnesses, the suspect approached the victim’s vehicle in an aggressive manner,
stepped in front of the victim’s vehicle and pointed his gun inside the
vehicle. The victim was ultimately able to drive away. The suspect attempted to
follow the victim’s vehicle on foot. The victim eventually drove out of the
parking lot to another location, where he waited for the arrival of police.
According to the victim, at no time during this incident did Mr. Torres
identify himself as a police officer.
While
on scene, Anne Arundel County Police Officers confirmed that Mr. Torres was an
off-duty Prince George’s County Police Officer and they took possession of his
departmental service weapon, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 40 handgun.
Mr.
Torres was arrested and transported to Northern District where he was charged
with first degree assault, second degree assault, reckless endangerment and
using a firearm in the commission of crime of violence. Mr. Torres appeared
before a court commissioner and was later released on his own recognizance.