Officers Address Complaints of Off-Road Vehicles Being Operated Recklessly on Roadways/Public Businesses: In response to numerous citizen complaints regarding off-road vehicles (ATVs & dirt bikes) operating recklessly in the roadways, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Unit conducted a special enforcement effort on June 29 in Waldorf.

Officers were made aware that off-road vehicles were being operated recklessly in the area of St. Thomas Drive, Village Street, and Stoddert Middle School. When officers arrived they observed several people riding ATVs in a reckless manner. One man, Tavon James Dodson, 26 of Waldorf, was apprehended without incident. When an officer attempted to stop another man, the man failed to comply and attempted to drive away. The officer was able to quickly turn the ATV off and take the man, Sean Gerard Estep, 36 of Waldorf, into custody without further incident. Further investigation revealed that Estep was in possession of crack cocaine, and that his ATV had an altered Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Dodson was charged with operating an off-road vehicle on government property. Estep was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, operating an off-road vehicle on government property, removing the serial number on the vehicle, and resisting arrest. Both Dodson and Estep were taken to the Charles County Detention Center where they were released on personal recognizance. The ATVs the men were riding (pictured below) were impounded.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is committed to keeping our community safe for everyone and will continue to conduct special enforcement operations to educate the public and address citizen complaints. Anyone who has information related to this event or needs to report events like it is asked to contact the CCSO at (301) 932-2222. The investigation continues.

Dodson, Tavon

Estep, Sean

 

CONTACT: Janelle Love
Media Relations Office
(301) 609-6538 or (301) 848-4799

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office (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. 

###