ROCKVILLE, Md. – Montgomery County is in shock after a 19-year-old reportedly, intentionally, hit Sgt. Patrick Kepp with his Dodge Challenger at speeds exceeding 100 mph on I-270 early Wednesday, according to Montgomery County Police.
The devastating collision led to the 36-year-old officer undergoing an emergency double amputation.
Raphael Mayorga, previously known to law enforcement for his reckless antics on the road, is now facing attempted first-degree murder charges.
“(Sgt. Patrick Kepp) got out of his vehicle to deploy the stop stick when he observed the vehicle coming northbound onto I-270. The situation took a turn when the driver 19-year-old Frederick Rafael Mayorga intentionally, and I want to stress that the vehicle is observed actually potentially moving from the middle lanes to the far left lanes in or came directly at Sergeant Kapp, as he was deploying the soft stop stick.” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones expressed deep sorrow in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “We find ourselves praying for the recovery of one of our own.”
Sgt. Kepp, who had served the community since 2014, is hospitalized in critical condition. This tragedy, compounded by the recent loss of another officer, has profoundly affected the Montgomery County Police Department.
