A Prince George’s County judge has found Bowie Police Sgt. Robert Warrington guilty of attempted second-degree murder after he fired his service weapon at an unarmed man during a 2024 roadside encounter in Maryland. The verdict came after a two-day bench trial involving the shooting of Nathaniel Richardson, who had been inside a stopped vehicle near Collington Road / MD 197 and U.S. Route 50. Warrington, described in reports as a longtime Bowie officer, was convicted on all charges, including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office. (WTOP News)
The case centered on a September 12, 2024 incident in which Warrington approached a stopped vehicle while on duty. According to local reporting, Richardson said he was headed to the hospital for a hand injury and was reaching for a hat that had blown away when the situation escalated. Video reviewed in reports showed Richardson walking near the vehicle before Warrington drew his weapon and fired. Richardson was unarmed, and the shooting quickly became a major police accountability case in Prince George’s County. (FOX 5 DC)
The guilty verdict is significant because criminal convictions of police officers for on-duty shootings remain rare, especially in cases where the officer claims they perceived a threat. In Warrington’s case, the judge rejected the defense’s argument that the shooting was legally justified and instead found that the evidence supported attempted murder and related charges. The Bowie Police Department released a statement acknowledging the conviction and said it had cooperated with the Prince George’s County Police Department and prosecutors throughout the investigation. (City of Bowie)
The courtroom was reportedly packed when the verdict was announced, with emotional reactions from both Richardson’s family and Warrington’s supporters. For Richardson and his loved ones, the ruling marked a major step toward accountability after a shooting they argued should never have happened. For police observers, the case adds to a broader national debate over use of force, officer decision-making, body camera evidence, and whether officers should face criminal consequences when unarmed civilians are shot or fired upon. (FOX 5 DC)
Warrington is expected to be sentenced in September. Until then, the Bowie police shooting case is likely to remain a major Maryland crime and police accountability story, especially as the public continues to discuss how an encounter involving a stopped vehicle, an injured man, and a roadside response turned into an attempted murder conviction for a sworn police sergeant. (FOX 5 DC)
