Charges will not be filed against a Montgomery County officer who pursued a driver Feb. 26.
During Officer Antonio Copeland’s pursuit, driver Noraly Paz Chavez crashed her car, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file charges, stating, “the actions of the officer involved in the February 26, 2022 incident were reasonable under the circumstances.”
Under an agreement with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Howard County office investigates all police-involved fatal incidents in Montgomery County.
According to the Montgomery County Police Department, at about 1:30 a.m., Copeland saw that the driver of a silver Honda Accord commit multiple traffic violations, including speeding in the area of Rockville Pike and Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda. The officer reported the driver was going 65 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone.
The officer stopped the driver and then stood next to the Honda. When he returned to his vehicle, Chavez drove away. Copeland began his pursuit. Chavez then crashed the car in the 3600 block of Randolph Road in Wheaton, and was ejected, according to police.
During the pursuit, the driver crossed over several solid lane lines.
A passenger in her car was treated and released from a local hospital.
During the investigation by Maryland’s Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Unit and Howard County state’s attorneys, body-worn camera and dash footage, police radio transmissions, crash scene analysis, the autopsy report, civilian interview and personnel records of the officer were reviewed.
