The 19-year-old who police said intentionally struck a sergeant on the highway will be held without bond.
Sgt. Patrick Kepp has lost use of both legs, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) Chief Marcus Jones said Wednesday. The bond hearing for Frederick Raphael Mayorga was held Thursday.
Mayorga baited police into high speed chases along I-270 on four separate occasions just this year, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said following the bond hearing Thursday.
He said Kepp will not be coming back as an active police officer.
Sgt. Patrick Kepp. Via MCPD.
“It’s a huge loss for the department,” McCarthy said.
“I can speak for the entire community,” he said, “our prayers go out to this officer and his family, because he has profound serious injuries that will disable him for the rest of his life as a result of this.”
Mayorga is known to “provoke” officers into chasing him, particularly on major roadways, Jones said Wednesday. He is known to the police department from several past incidents.
McCarthy said police “would actually make phone calls to him” and Mayorga dared them to try to catch him.
Kepp was struck while outside of his patrol car trying to use stop sticks to stop Mayorga, who was suspected of being under the influence at about 3:48 a.m. Wednesday on I-270, according to police.
Mayorga intentionally moved from the middle lanes to the far-left lanes and came directly at Kepp as he was deploying stop sticks, Jones said. Jones said Kepp knows Mayorga and arrested him in May for several traffic citations.
“He intentionally struck Sergeant Kepp in the main lanes of I-270,” Jones said.
Mayorga faces charges including attempted first-degree murder.
