On February 23 at 1: 30 a.m., officers responded to the area of Crain Highway in Newburg for the report of shots fired. The caller advised he was following a car in which the driver, who is known to him, shot at him minutes earlier. Officers located the suspect’s vehicle near Budd’s Creek Road. The driver, David Arthur Hardester, age 42, of Mechanicville, was identified as the person who fired the shot. He was arrested and a firearm was recovered. A preliminary investigation showed the victim and suspect arranged to meet at a parking lot near Crain Highway in Newburg. When they arrived, an argument about an ongoing issue ensued and Hardester fired a single shot at the victim as he was walking away to get in his car; the victim was not struck by the gunfire. The suspect fled and the victim followed him, calling 9-1-1 and advising officers as to where the driver was. Hardester was arrested and charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, and other related charges. He is being held at the Charles County Detention Center and waiting to be seen by a district court commissioner. Officer Weinmann is investigating.
David Hardester
CONTACT:
Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
301-609-6557 or 240-682-1658
The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
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