Driver acquitted of most serious charges for running over officer on I-270

A jury convicted a driver on more than a dozen charges for running over a Maryland police officer who lost both legs but the defendant s acquittal on the the bulk serious charges left police and the prosecution extremely disappointed Raphael Mayorga was detected guilty of second-degree assault and other charges but the jury acquitted him of first-degree assault attempted murder and three other charges There s selected days when it s great to be state s attorney of Montgomery County Montgomery County State s Attorney John McCarthy declared This is not one of those days In October Sgt Patrick Kepp was technically on break but had joined his colleagues to try to stop a speeding teen driver Mayorga of Frederick had just won in a street race and was driving his distinctive bright green Dodge Challenger on I- near Watkins Mill Road about a m Oct reaching mph according to court documents After Mayorga swerved around one set of stop sticks designed to puncture a car s tires and slow it down Kepp rushed to lay down another In dashboard camera video introduced as evidence at trial the Challenger s powerful engine is heard roaring as Mayorga swerved around the second set of strips and into Kepp Mayorga now years old was accused of hitting Kepp at mph Kepp testified he saw Mayorga swerve toward him Mayorga certainly was stopped by a third set of stop sticks and later notified detectives he didn t mean to hit the officer but by the time he saw him it was too late Gravely injured Kepp needed more than two dozen surgeries and had to learn how to walk again Patrick s devastated by the verdict McCarthy stated Prosecutors are frustrated that particular evidence of Mayorga s previous interactions with police involving reckless driving was not able to be introduced at trial Laws concerning a defendant s prior criminal behavior prevented that from being fully revealed during the trial McCarthy noted So the prosecution was unable to get in information that Mayorga knew Kepp prior to this situation Kepp had previous contact with Mayorga over dangerous street racing and stunts and had sworn out a warrant on Mayorga for his arrest on traffic charges McCarthy declared Body-worn camera video of an interaction Mayorga had with police in June shows him beaming as he mentions the sergeant saying he thought it would be Kepp to come for him Montgomery County Nov Maryland officer who lost legs after being hit by teen driver returns to work Montgomery County Dec Officer who lost his legs trying to stop erratic Maryland driver accepts award Montgomery County Dec Hero's welcome Maryland officer who lost legs after being hit by teen driver leaves hospital They knew each other they were not strangers to each other McCarthy explained Quite candidly we knew from looking at social media that Mr Mayora trolled Officer Patrick Kepp So the idea that he did not purposely do this to Officer Kepp is offensive to us Kepp has returned to duty with the police force He went back to the office after the verdict was read Friday Maryland s Sgt Kepp Act adds stricter penalties for reckless driving but officers say much more must be done Mayorga faces more than years in prison at sentencing in August News sends emerging news stories by email Go here to sign up to get urgent news alerts in your inbox