Suspect Shot By Trooper Charged With Assault In Queen Anne’s Co.

(CHESTERTOWN, MD) — After consultation with the Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney, Maryland State Police investigators have charged the driver of a pickup who allegedly dragged a state trooper before being shot by that trooper early this morning during a traffic stop on the Eastern Shore.

The suspect is identified as Deny (sic) R. Coursey, 44, of Centreville, Md. Coursey was charged this afternoon with first degree assault, second degree assault, fleeing and eluding police, violation of the Governor’s Executive Order, obstructing and hindering, and reckless driving. He is being held without bond at the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center.

The trooper is a four-year-veteran of the Maryland State Police. He is assigned to road patrol duties at the Centreville Barrack.

Coursey was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter this morning to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was treated for a gunshot wound. Coursey was released from the hospital this afternoon and taken into custody by State Police investigators who returned him to the Centreville Barrack where he was later charged.

The trooper injured this morning was also treated at Shock Trauma. He was released earlier today and will be recovering from his injuries at home.

The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before 3:00 a.m. today, the trooper was on patrol in the area of the 1000-block of Rolph’s Wharf Road, near Chestertown. He stopped a suspicious vehicle in the area of the marina and called in a description of a 2001 Chevrolet truck.

Minutes later, the trooper called for backup. When units arrived, they found the trooper lying along the roadside and saw the suspect vehicle was not at the scene.

The investigation today indicates the trooper approached the truck on the passenger side and contacted the driver and sole occupant, later identified as Coursey. While talking with Coursey, the trooper saw what appeared to be a small amount of a suspected controlled dangerous substance in the center console.

When the trooper confronted Coursey about this, he accelerated away, with the trooper being dragged by the vehicle. The truck picked up speed as the trooper clung to the side. The trooper repeatedly told the driver to stop, but was ignored. In fear for his life, the trooper fired his weapon toward the suspect. At some point he became dislodged from the vehicle and fell where he was later found by backup troopers.

A lookout for the vehicle was broadcast and the vehicle was spotted by Queen Anne County Sheriff’s Office deputies. A deputy reported the truck was driving through a field and eventually became stuck in a ditch. Deputies and troopers took the suspect into custody and found he had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the middle torso. Troopers administered immediate emergency care and EMS units responded to the scene. The suspect was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to Shock Trauma.

Investigators from the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division and crime scene technicians from the Forensic Sciences Division responded to the scene and assisted with the investigation. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit responded and is leading the ongoing investigation, as is procedure in a trooper-involved shooting. Upon completion, the criminal investigation will be presented to the Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Division investigators are also conducting an investigation. This investigation is procedure following a use of deadly force by a trooper.