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Annapolis resident Brandon Hardy, 26, was sentenced to 15 years of active incarceration and is subject to an additional five years which were suspended for 13 charges including two counts of second-degree assault against officers Saifedlin Hussain and James Yee in September 2021.
Hardy was also sentenced for a litany of felony drug charges for possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, leaving him subject to five additional years in prison if he violates his probation, according to Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
The suspects as found guilty by a jury in July 2022, Leitess noted.
On Sept. 3, 2021, members of the Anne Arundel County Police Department responded to the area of Mountain Road and Route 10, where there was a reported crash in which the driver - later identified as Hardy - fled the scene.
Investigators said that at the scene, police learned that two vehicles, a grey Ford Mustang and a black Kia SUV were attempting to turn left from the Route 10 off-ramp onto Mountain Road when Hardy’s Honda Civic ran a red light and struck both vehicles.
The occupants of the Mustang and the Kia, which included young children, were not injured, according to officials.
A passenger in Hardy’s vehicle remained at the scene, prosecutors said, and gave investigators his name, noting that he had taken her cellphone before running away.
The passenger’s family member arrived on the scene and used an app to locate the passenger’s phone which pinged to a local fast food restaurant.
Officers then responded there and located Hardy, but he refused to identify himself, police said. A witness from the crash was brought to the location and positively identified Hardy as a suspect.
After Hardy was arrested and handcuffed, he attempted to run away, officials noted. He was quickly apprehended and became extremely uncooperative, according to police.
“A large number of officers were required to place the defendant in the police vehicle to be transported for booking,” they said.
“During the struggle, (Hardy) bit Yee on the leg and attempted to bite Hussain’s arm. Neither officer sustained serious injuries and did not require medical treatment.”
Amid the struggle, officers said that Hardy was “clutching a large amount of drugs, which they had to pry out of his hands.”
The items seized included:
- 29 grams of fentanyl;
- More than 40 grams of cocaine;
- A digital scale;
- More than $400 in cash.
His vehicle was also searched and investigators located approximately 15 grams of marijuana and 30 Suboxone strips.
“With this sentence, (Hardy) will be spending many years in prison and will no longer be a danger to law enforcement officers or our community,” Leitess said in a statement. “I would like to thank Officer Hussain and Yee for their dedication to keeping our streets safe and grateful that no one was severely injured during this incident.”
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