Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced on April 2, 2025, that a Howard County grand jury has indicted Anne Arundel County Police Officer Alexander Rodriguez on multiple charges stemming from a police-involved fatality on August 10, 2024.
The charges, filed in the Circuit Court for Howard County, include one felony count of Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel – Gross Negligence, one misdemeanor count of Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel – Criminal Negligence, one felony count of Duty of Driver to Remain at Scene of Accident Resulting in Death, and five misdemeanor counts of Misconduct in Office. The incident involved a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fatal motorcycle crash, killing 21-year-old Joshua VanderZiel of Laurel, Maryland.
The crash occurred at approximately 4:11 a.m. on August 10, 2024, in the 9400 block of Washington Boulevard in Howard County. According to the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, Officer Rodriguez, 30, pursued VanderZiel’s motorcycle in his marked police cruiser for over four miles, beginning in Anne Arundel County, continuing through Prince George’s County, and ending in Howard County. The pursuit reached speeds twice the posted limit, and Rodriguez failed to activate his lights or sirens, notify dispatch, or obtain authorization. Witnesses reported that VanderZiel, traveling northbound at high speed, collided with a flatbed truck turning left into the southbound lanes. VanderZiel died on impact.
Following the collision, Rodriguez stopped briefly, made a U-turn, and fled southbound on Washington Boulevard without reporting the incident, remaining on scene, or rendering aid. He returned to Anne Arundel County and resumed his shift. “I am absolutely appalled that an officer would endanger a person’s life and then flee the scene of a fatal crash without offering aid or reporting the incident,” Brown said. “This disregard for human life and misconduct from a member of law enforcement is a betrayal of public trust that undermines the safety of communities that police are sworn to protect.”
The Howard County Police Department initially responded, with its Accident Investigation Unit taking over the crash probe. On August 14, 2024, the Maryland State Police Crash Team alerted the IID to potential police involvement, and by August 20, the IID assumed control, confirming Rodriguez’s role. Rodriguez, employed by the Anne Arundel County Police Department since March 2023, was suspended with pay in August 2024. Following the indictment, which includes felony charges, his status shifted to suspended without pay, per Anne Arundel County Chief of Police Amal E. Awad.
Awad stated, “The alleged actions of Officer Rodriguez contained in this indictment are deeply disturbing and not representative of the men and women of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.” The department has cooperated fully with the IID since the investigation began, and Awad directed media inquiries to the Attorney General’s Office. Under Maryland law, the IID investigates police-involved deaths or serious injuries and, for incidents after October 1, 2023, has exclusive prosecution authority if evidence warrants charges, as outlined on the Attorney General’s website.
Rodriguez faces serious allegations, but an indictment is not a conviction. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of police pursuits, with a 2023 National Institute of Justice report noting that high-speed chases often pose significant risks to public safety. As the legal process unfolds, the incident underscores tensions between law enforcement actions and community trust in Maryland.
