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Kamari Dameone Smith 17, of District Heights, and Marquis Raynell Middleton, 16, of Clinton, are being charged as adults with possession of a firearm as a minor and other related gun charges, according to the police.
Shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, a state police trooper from the Forestville Barrack stopped to check on a disabled vehicle parked on northbound Route 4, near the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County.
As the trooper approached the vehicle, investigators said that he detected the odor of marijuana when he made contact with the driver, Smith, and three passengers inside his 2017 Nissan Altima.
The trooper observed marijuana inside the car and asked Smith to exit the Nissan, at which point, the trooper observed a handgun and placed him under arrest without incident.
Smith’s handgun was later found to be loaded with a round in the chamber.
While Smith was being apprehended, police say that Middleton, a passenger sitting behind the driver’s seat left the vehicle and fled to a nearby wooded area, also armed with a loaded gun, which he dropped during the foot pursuit.
Shortly after midnight on Friday, Oct. 21, troopers were able to track down Middleton in the woods and he too was arrested without incident.
Troopers contacted the Maryland Gun Center and it was determined both suspects were prohibited from possessing firearms due to their age, and investigators made note that the weapons recovered from the scene are suspected ghost guns.
Smith and Middleton were transported from the scene to the Upper Marlboro Detention Center. The two other passengers in the vehicle were also juveniles who will not be charged as adults.
One was provided a civil citation for the possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana and released from the scene. The other juvenile was charged with criminal possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance. He was transported to the Forestville Barrack and released to his parents.
No one was injured during the incident. No shots were fired.
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