Local digest: Man in Md. traffic stop accused of assaulting police
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Version 0 of 1. A Prince George’s County police officer used a stun gun on a handcuffed man who was on the ground Saturday after a traffic stop allegedly escalated into a series of assaults on multiple officers and an escape attempt, police said Sunday. Giovanti Moschino Young, 21, is charged with multiple counts of assaulting police, authorities said. Police said that Young was wanted on a Howard County arrest warrant for robbery and that an in-car police camera showed him acting aggressively during the traffic stop. The department’s internal affairs division is investigating. According to police, Young was a passenger in a car pulled over in Laurel about 1 p.m. for an stop-sign violation. During the traffic stop, Young assaulted two officers, was arrested and said he was injured, police said. He was taken to a hospital but no injuries were found, police said. During transport for processing, police said, a handcuffed Young escaped from a police cruiser at Wells Parkway and Route 1 in College Park at about 5 p.m. Young spit at and bit an officer on the arm and tried to kick him, police said. An officer got Young onto the ground, but Young continued to struggle until the stun gun was used, police said. The officers were treated for their injuries. An apparent passerby posted videos of the incident on Twitter, showing an officer atop Young and trying to control him on the ground, punching him in the face and apparently striking him in the neck area with a small hand baton. The stun gun is not seen, but the witness video showed Young writhing and gasping, still pinned but with the officer saying: “Relax. You hear them sirens? When they come, you’ll be fine.” Anyone with information is asked to e-mail authorities at police_internalaffairs@co.pg.md.us. — Spencer S. Hsu A Fairfax County jail inmate who was housed in the facility’s medical center was found unresponsive Saturday night and died at Inova Fairfax Hospital, sheriff’s officials said Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available, but there were no signs that the man had had an altercation with anyone inside the jail, a sheriff’s spokesman said. Paul Guida, 68, of the Falls Church area had been jailed since Oct. 1 without bond on a charge of failure to appear in court. He also was charged with violating a protective order for a third time in 20 years, according to a news release issued by the sheriff’s office. He was placed in the jail’s infirmary because of his medical conditions, which were not specified. At 10:58 p.m. Saturday, a deputy found Guida unresponsive, the sheriff’s office said. Jail staff performed rescue procedures on him until paramedics arrived at 11:06 p.m., and Guida was taken to the hospital at 11:28 p.m. He was pronounced dead at 11:48 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. The Fairfax police homicide unit will investigate the death. Lucy Caldwell, a county police spokeswoman, said she did not know whether an autopsy had been performed Sunday to determine Guida’s cause and manner of death. Lt. Tyler Corey of the sheriff’s office said Guida had “known, significant medical issues when he came into custody.” He said there was “no physical altercation that I’m aware of. He was not known to be a problem” prisoner, Corey said. — Tom Jackman |