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Sunday, May 01, 2016

Maryland State Trooper Charged With Assaulting Arrestee


(BEL AIR, MD) – A Maryland state trooper has been arrested subsequent to a Grand Jury indictment charging him with assault on a man being arrested following a pursuit on I-95 in Harford County last fall.

The trooper is identified as Trooper Matin (sic) M. Dunlap, 25. He is charged with one count of first degree assault, three counts of second degree assault, and two counts of misconduct in office. Dunlap was indicted yesterday by a Harford County Grand Jury after investigative information was presented by the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office. Dunlap turned himself in to State Police investigators at the Bel Air Barrack just before 1:00 p.m. today. After processing, he had an initial appearance before a court commissioner and was released on $1,000 bond.

The victim of the assault is identified as Dennis M. D. Donoghue, 55, of Riverdale, Md. Donoghue was the driver and sole occupant of a Chevrolet Captiva that fled from Dunlap and other troopers attempting to stop it on I-95 at about 11:30 p.m. on October 22, 2015.

The investigation was conducted by the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division Northern Region. The investigation began the day after Donoghue’s arrest, when complaints were received from state troopers who were involved in the arrest after he was stopped.


The investigation found Donoghue was stopped on the right shoulder of northbound I-95 near White Marsh. Trooper Dunlap was assigned to the JFK Highway Barrack and was working patrol in a marked car when he spotted the stopped vehicle and pulled up behind it. As the trooper walked up to the stopped car to check on the occupant, the driver, later identified as Donoghue, accelerated away. Dunlap called the barrack and began to follow the vehicle with his emergency equipment activated.

Donoghue turned off his vehicle lights and continued north on I-95, refusing to pull over and stop. Additional troopers joined the pursuit. Donoghue was not driving at excessive speed, but was driving with his lights out and ignoring the emergency lights and sirens of the patrol cars. During the pursuit, Donoghue’s car collided with a marked patrol car driven by a supervisor from the JFK Barrack.

Troopers deployed stop sticks that successfully deflated tires on the car. Donoghue’s vehicle stopped along I-95 north, south of Belcamp.

The investigation found a trooper first class and a corporal who had been in the pursuit were the first to reach Donoghue and get him out of his car. They reported he was not fighting them, but was passively resisting and they were not immediately able to get him handcuffed.

While they were attempting to handcuff Donoghue, who was lying on the ground, the troopers reported Trooper Dunlap intervened and began jabbing the man repeatedly in the abdomen and side with a metal expandable baton. He also struck and injured the hand of one of the troopers trying to handcuff the driver.

The investigation found a State Police corporal grabbed Dunlap’s expandable baton in an attempt to stop him from striking Donoghue. The corporal reported the trooper pulled the baton away and continued to jab Donoghue. A State Police sergeant arriving at the scene forcibly pushed Trooper Dunlap away from Donoghue and ended the assault.

Donoghue did not request or require medical treatment according to troopers who arrested him. He was taken to the Harford County Detention Center.

Troopers who witnessed the actions of Trooper Dunlap reported what they saw to barrack command staff that night and the criminal investigation began the next morning. Dunlap was suspended with pay and assigned to administrative duties when the criminal investigation began.

State Police criminal investigators presented their completed investigation to Harford County State’s Attorney Joe Cassilly. The evidence was presented to a Harford County Grand Jury and the indictment was issued.

Subsequent to his arrest today, Dunlap has been suspended without pay. He has been employed by the Maryland State Police since July 2013. The Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Unit is also investigating the actions of Trooper Dunlap.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

what ever happened to the DWI trooper ?

Anonymous said...

1k bond huh? 25k starting for any of us civilians. No mention of assault on a police officer. He quit his job the second he started assaulting this man and then hurt a cop. Failure to obey a lawful order. That's another charge he should've received.

Steve said...

7:18, you will never hear a thing about him, just like this guy. Back to work after a few weeks off for a Disney vacation with the wife and kids. Oh, and a sound "talking to".

Imclain, what's your take?

Anonymous said...

7:18 same thing that happened to Kenny Moore's assault case - nothing

Anonymous said...

Moore's case is far from over folks

Anonymous said...

We are living in a police state, they do what they want, the rest of us have to suffer the consequences when we make a mistake.

I had never heard of an incident where someone could be driving drunk, have an accident and never be charged with a crime until the trooper did it on Super Bowl week-end. Anyone that says that is OK needs to see a psychiatrist.

Anonymous said...

Who is Kenny Moore and what is his case?

Anonymous said...

802 he is friends with Kenny.

Battyatnight said...

Where's the outcry of a black cop beating a white guy?

Anonymous said...


Why the outrage, this is the results of equal opportunity.

The standards for employment has been lowered to find employees from a pool of scholars that are turned out from another system where lower standards shine.

I don't get the surprise that this would happen.

Also......had the fleeing subject been schooled properly, perhaps he would have known to stop at the request of a ole boy trying to make ends meet.

Captjan61 said...

If you run from police ... Im sorry !!!! you get what you get

Anonymous said...

Trooper Matin (sic) M. Dunlap


Ok, can someone smarter than me please explain to me what and why the (sic)? I have never figured that out yet. Sometimes if you see something enough you can figure it out.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
what ever happened to the DWI trooper ?

April 27, 2016 at 7:18 PM

STFU you Pu$$y Douche Bag. If you want to know go to the Barracks and find out. This post has nothing to do with it so move along.

Joe this guy is a trouble maker. I know you censor many comments and I respectfully ask that you censor these comments this clown keeps trying to sneak in.

Anonymous said...

Captjan61 said...
If you run from police ... Im sorry !!!! you get what you get

April 28, 2016 at 8:17 AM

I agree with you!

Anonymous said...

What did happen to Trooper John Size, Jr.? If he was charged, why is it not on casesearch? What is wrong with this question? Cannot make up the rules as you go!