High-speed chaos: Reckless race ends with arrest amid drama of police broadcast

LUSBY, Maryland. – On August 3, 2024, Tyonte Ajee Raymond Thomas, 29, of Lusby, Maryland, led police on a dangerous chase through several streets in Calvert County. The chase, initiated by Deputy Contic of the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, began after Thomas was observed committing several traffic violations, including speeding over 130 miles per hour.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Deputy Contic first noticed Thomas' gray Ford Bronco swerving across the road on Tomahawk Trail before abruptly turning onto Gunsmoke Trail. Despite Deputy Contic's efforts to stop him, Thomas continued to drive recklessly, tailgating, crossing the white line, and driving off-road at times. His erratic behavior included running several cars off the road while weaving through traffic.

The situation became even more precarious when Thomas was in contact with the Calvert County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) during the chase. According to official documents, the ECC broadcast live updates of Thomas, who reported that he was mentally unstable and having a manic episode. He claimed to be a veteran on his way to the hospital and asked police to back off.

Despite these claims, Thomas accelerated to dangerous speeds, eventually reaching 130 mph (210 km/h) on North Solomons Island Road. During the chase, several items were thrown from his vehicle, including a brown paper bag and a Brillo scouring pad. Police say scouring pads are commonly used as filters in crack pipes, indicating possible drug use.

The pursuit ended when officers applied a precision immobilization technique (PIT), causing Thomas' vehicle to skid and come to a stop. Thomas was arrested after the stop, during which he showed signs of confusion and claimed he did not understand why he was being stopped. According to official documents, Thomas admitted to having a previous drunk driving conviction and mentioned that he believed he had been using both the cruise control and lane departure warning system at the time.

Thomas was transported to Calvert County Health Medical Center for evaluation before being taken into custody. The case is currently pending and Thomas faces several charges including attempted eluding police, reckless driving, driving without a required ignition interlock device and other traffic violations.

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