On December 11 at 9:28 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of Smallwood Village Center in Waldorf for the report of an assault. A preliminary investigation showed a woman was walking on the sidewalk when her former boyfriend, Clarence Antonio Bennett, age 41, of Waldorf, approached and began yelling at her. The woman tried to walk away but Bennett produced a gun, chambered a round, and put it to the victim’s chin and threatened her. The suspect fled on foot when the victim said she was calling 9-1-1. Officers searched the area for Bennett and obtained an arrest warrant. Bennett was located on Amberleaf Place in Waldorf the following day and arrested without incident.

A search warrant was served at Bennett’s residence where a gun and ammunition were recovered. Bennett is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony child abuse with a severe physical injury conviction. Bennett was charged with first-degree assault, use of a firearm during a crime, illegal possession of a handgun, and other related crimes. On December 13, a judge ordered Bennett to be held at the Charles County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond.

 

Clarence Bennett

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. Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple Store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.