LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Malik Deondre Brandon, 26, of Hughesville was arrested on July 10, 2025, after St. Mary’s County deputies say he shoved his girlfriend during an argument, illegally possessed a loaded handgun and violated an existing protective order that should have kept him far from the scene — and the victim.
Deputies responded to the Extended Stay hotel on Expedition Drive in Lexington Park for a domestic disturbance involving Brandon and the protected party, who reported being shoved repeatedly and having her phone taken when she tried to call police. According to her statement, she had already dialed 911 when Brandon allegedly snatched the device and disconnected the call.
Though the physical evidence included a small bruise on the victim’s right arm, it was the firearm allegation that elevated the incident from routine to potentially felonious. The victim, who had a protective order in place against Brandon at the time, told officers he had a Ruger handgun. She provided video proof. A subsequent vehicle search turned up one unspent 9mm round under the passenger seat, 31 more in the glove box and a backpack filled with additional ammunition in the back seat. When pressed about the missing weapon, Brandon led officers into the woods, where he allegedly discarded a Ruger 9mm handgun — loaded, chambered and equipped with two magazines.
Court records show Brandon is legally barred from owning any regulated firearm due to a 2023 conviction for second-degree domestic assault. He remains on supervised probation in connection with that case. The July 10 charges include illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, felony possession of a firearm after a crime of violence and second-degree assault. He is currently held without bond. Judge James Tanavage presided over his initial bail review.
This most recent incident followed a long pattern of violations tied to the same protective order. On June 12, 2025, Brandon was pulled over by state police in Mechanicsville for driving 70 in a 55. His passenger, identified as the protected party by photo ID, was riding shotgun — an explicit breach of the no-contact provision of the order. He was arrested on the spot for violating the order and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.
But the contact had begun months earlier. Court filings document that between Nov. 10 and Nov. 25, 2024, the protected party received dozens of missed calls and late-night text messages from Brandon, including messages about getting back together and photos of firearms he allegedly planned to purchase through “connections” in North Carolina. On Nov. 9, he messaged her, “Do you wanna talk it out or leave it this way?” — a line that, according to the State, encapsulates the manipulation and emotional pressure behind his repeated breaches.
These violations formed the basis of a separate February 2025 case in which Brandon was charged with multiple counts of violating a protective order, harassment and telephone misuse. That case was ultimately stetted by the State’s Attorney’s Office on May 8, 2025, before Judge Tanavage — meaning it was shelved, not erased.
Now facing new felony and misdemeanor charges across multiple open cases, Brandon’s legal jeopardy has deepened. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2025. The maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm following a crime of violence is five years in prison without parole. For violating a protective order, he faces up to 90 days per count, and for second-degree assault, up to 10 years and a $2,500 fine.
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Prime example of how effective a restraining order is. Glad she survived this encounter. Hopefully the judge will keep him in custody…this time!
Keep on letting him out till he kills someone