Video shows police officer pursuing driver before fatal crash

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office has released dashboard camera footage showing a three-mile police pursuit of a driver last month, which ended when the driver crashed in Wheaton and died.

Noraly Paz Chavez, 26, of Riverdale, died in the crash on Feb. 26. The AG’s office has identified the Montgomery County police officer who tried to stop her, then pursued her, as Antonio Copeland, a 16.5-year veteran with the department’s Field Services Bureau.

A video released Wednesday shows Copeland stop Chavez near the intersection of Rockville Pike and Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda after she allegedly committed a traffic violation, according to authorities.

But after a brief exchange between Copeland and Chavez, she sped away and Copeland followed, suspecting that she was impaired, the video shows.

A passenger riding with Chavez was injured in the crash, authorities have said.

Chavez crashed near the intersection of Randolph Road and Connecticut Avenue in Wheaton, hitting a fence post and a tree. She died at the scene.

A six-minute video released on Wednesday shows Copeland stop Chavez’s car at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Nicholson Lane around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 26, and say, “You should pull over right here.” Chavez responds “OK,” but drives off.

Copeland’s dash camera video records as he drives after Chavez’s car, down Nicholson Lane and Randolph Road. He calls out her speed a few times during the chase, indicating at one point that her speed is 65 mph where the speed limit is 40 mph.

After the car gets beyond the Connecticut Avenue intersection, Copeland tells a dispatcher, “They just wrecked on Connecticut Avenue.”

As Copeland’s car gets close to Chavez’s car, which is at an angle on the road, pieces of the car are strewn along the road. The video ends as Copeland walks up to Chavez car and asks a dispatcher to get help from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

The Attorney General’s Office’s Independent Investigations Division and Maryland State Police are investigating the crash.

Montgomery County police’s policy on pursuits states that a traffic-related pursuit is justified “if the officer believes a person is driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, or if there is a hit-and-run personal injury collision when the officer has reasonable cause to believe a serious physical injury has occurred.”
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