Video of Dump Truck Attack on PG County Officers

  
We have arrested and charged a dump truck driver who intentionally rammed his truck into two marked police cruisers. Thankfully, our two patrol officers, who were standing next to those cruisers, escaped injury. The suspect is 31-year-old Gene Thomas Brandon, Jr., of the 19000 block of Aquasco Road in Aquasco. The attack on our officers was captured on surveillance video. 

On January 7, 2015, at about 11:35 am, our officers were talking next to their cruisers in a parking lot of a shopping center in Glendarden. Brandon pulled up his dump truck next to the officers and yelled at them from an open window. The officers ordered him to keep moving as he was blocking traffic. Brandon drove off and turned around in the parking lot. Seconds later, the officers saw the dump truck barreling directly toward them. The officers, who were standing between their cruisers, ran out of the truck's path. Brandon slammed his truck into the back of one of the cruisers, causing it to plow into the second one. The dump truck finally came to rest on top of one of the cruisers after pushing it more than 50 feet. Brandon then jumped out of his truck and aggressively approached our officers. The officers were able to take Brandon into custody without injury to the officers or the suspect. 

Brandon is charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of first degree assault. He’s in custody at the Department of Corrections being held without bond. 

This appears to be an isolated incident. Our investigation reveals the suspect has a history of mental illness. He told our detectives he had not been taking his prescribed medication.