Off-duty officer charged with assault

An off-duty Prince George's County police officer was charged with first- and second-degree assault for allegedly threatening a man with a handgun outside a bar in Odenton early Saturday, Anne Arundel County police said.

Nathaniel Daniels III, 34, of Odenton, an eight-year veteran of the county police force, is charged in the incident, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday at Bill's Lounge in the 1600 block of Annapolis Road, authorities said.

According to Anne Arundel police, officers went to the bar for a report of a fight.

The officers encountered Daniels, who was armed with a handgun, according to a county police news release. Daniels told the officers he was an off-duty Prince George's police officer. Anne Arundel officers disarmed and handcuffed him, the release said.

The alleged victim, a 33-year-old tow truck driver, told investigating officers that Daniels had pointed a handgun at him and shoved it in his face while forcing him into his tow truck, the release states.

Daniels was upset about a vehicle that had been towed earlier in the evening, according to the news release, which did not say whether the vehicle that had been towed belongs to Daniels.

Daniels, a detective, has been suspended with pay pending a suspension hearing, said Officer Henry Tippett, a police spokesman. Daniels's status could be changed to suspended without pay at the hearing, Tippett said.

An off-duty Prince George's County police officer was charged with first- and second-degree assault for allegedly threatening a man with a handgun outside a bar in Odenton early Saturday, Anne Arundel County police said.

Nathaniel Daniels III, 34, of Odenton, an eight-year veteran of the county police force, is charged in the incident, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday at Bill's Lounge in the 1600 block of Annapolis Road, authorities said.

According to Anne Arundel police, officers went to the bar for a report of a fight.

The officers encountered Daniels, who was armed with a handgun, according to a county police news release. Daniels told the officers he was an off-duty Prince George's police officer. Anne Arundel officers disarmed and handcuffed him, the release said.

The alleged victim, a 33-year-old tow truck driver, told investigating officers that Daniels had pointed a handgun at him and shoved it in his face while forcing him into his tow truck, the release states.

Daniels was upset about a vehicle that had been towed earlier in the evening, according to the news release, which did not say whether the vehicle that had been towed belongs to Daniels.

Daniels, a detective, has been suspended with pay pending a suspension hearing, said Officer Henry Tippett, a police spokesman. Daniels's status could be changed to suspended without pay at the hearing, Tippett said.