DATE: December 10, 2019         
CONTACT:
Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
(301) 609-6557 or (240) 682-1658

DETECTIVES INVESTIGATING HOMICIDE: On December 10 at 3:09 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of Smallwood Village Center in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. A preliminary investigation revealed the suspect and victim were involved in an altercation in the parking lot of the shopping center when the suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim multiple times. The suspect then fled in a gray vehicle. The victim, John Ercell Staton, 54, of Newburg, was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Detectives are pursuing leads. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective J. Feldman at (301) 609-6474. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous may contact Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app. A cash reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for the tip that leads to an arrest in this case. The investigation is ongoing.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. 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. 

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