LEONARDTOWN, Md. — On Sept. 24, 2025, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrested Walter Jay Brown Jr., 46, of Leonardtown, after responding to a reported assault in progress in Leonardtown. Brown was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree assault following an incident that authorities say left one man hospitalized with severe head injuries.
According to court documents, Deputy Steeber arrived at the scene and found the victim bleeding heavily from the head. The victim told deputies he had just returned home from a shopping trip when he was allegedly struck from behind with a shovel as he exited his pickup truck. The victim also reported that he and Brown started arguing and that he was bleeding profusely from the head. The victim stated he entered his house, retrieved a walking stick, and then returned outside to confront Brown.
Witnesses told deputies that there had been no prior dispute between the men and described the incident as unprovoked. Brown, however, told deputies he picked up the shovel after the victim allegedly swung a walking stick toward him and his family during a confrontation.
Deputies reported finding blood next to the driver’s side of the victim’s pickup truck and a trail leading to the side door of the residence, and a large area of blood on the sidewalk leading to the residence, which they said was consistent with the victim’s account. The victim was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment.
Brown was taken into custody and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. He faces charges of first-degree assault, a felony carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, and second-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Brown is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in St. Mary’s County District Court on Oct. 23, 2025.
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