Manslaughter, Assault On Detective Prompt Guilty Plea From Annapolis Man: Official

BROOKLYN, MD — Officials said an Annapolis man pleaded guilty to fatally injuring his passenger and assaulting a detective during a 2020 police chase. Authorities identified the arrestee as 53-year-old David Bogdanowicz. An incident report listed his charges as:

• Manslaughter in the death of his passenger, Jennifer Patterson
• First-degree assault on Detective Kenneth Edmonds of the Anne Arundel County Police Department
• Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

"The defendant used his vehicle as a weapon," Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess wrote, announcing the guilty plea on Sept. 10. "Not only did he attempt to hit a law enforcement officer with his vehicle to evade arrest but his actions also took the life of his passenger."

The write-up noted that Bogdanowicz was wanted on several outstanding arrest warrants, leading officers to start searching for him on July 18, 2020. The police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team found the suspect three days later driving a stolen truck on Church Street and Ritchie Highway in Brooklyn, the press release added.

Prosecutors explained that Bogdanowicz pulled into a liquor store parking lot where police officers cornered him and repeatedly ordered him not to put the car in gear. Officials informed that Bogdanowicz put the truck in reverse and drove toward Edmonds, prompting the detective to fire a gunshot at the vehicle.

Authorities indicated that the defendant then ran over a stop sign, hopped a curb and drove into the intersection of Sixth Street and Church Street. The report mentioned that Patterson, Bogdanowicz's passenger, fell out of the car and was partially run over by his rear tire. She eventually died from her leg injuries, the write-up detailed.

Police lost track of the fleeing truck before spotting Bogdanowicz hiding behind a parked vehicle, the release continued. The prosecution stated that officers arrested the suspect after a short chase.

"I would like to thank Det. Edmonds and the other responding officers for choosing – each and every day – to put their lives in danger in order to keep our communities safe and sound," Leitess concluded. "Additionally, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Patterson. She died trying to escape the defendant’s vehicle and her death is tragic."

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