The teenager who drove a stolen car into three law enforcement officers in Bel Air last weekend has a name. Police just are not saying it yet.
The Bel Air Police Department announced Tuesday that the driver, who had been booked as John Doe following his arrest Saturday, was positively identified early the morning of September 6 as a 17-year-old male. Because the case may be transferred from criminal court to juvenile court, the department is withholding his identity for now.
What is not withheld is the charge sheet — and it is a serious one. The 17-year-old faces two counts of attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, resisting arrest, hit-and-run offenses, destruction of property, and multiple traffic violations.
The incident unfolded around 2:05 p.m. Saturday in a parking lot near a Raising Cane’s restaurant in Bel Air. Officers spotted a stolen vehicle there. Before they moved in, the passenger got out and walked into the restaurant. When officers approached the car, the driver bolted — running over two Bel Air Police officers and a Harford County Sheriff’s deputy who were standing outside their vehicles. The car also struck law enforcement vehicles before leaving the lot.
Officers gave chase. The driver eventually abandoned the car and ran, but was caught in the Jarrettsville area.
One Bel Air officer was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore with non-life-threatening injuries. A second Bel Air officer was injured during the pursuit and treated at a local hospital. The sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.
The passenger, 18-year-old Janay Ellenore Morrison of Baltimore County, was also taken into custody. She faces charges of stealing a motor vehicle, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, and resisting arrest.
The investigation remains active. The Bel Air Police Department said additional information will be released when appropriate.
All suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
