MD Cop Violently Attacks Valet Because He 'Left His Lights On'

A Prince George’s County police officer who was arrested in the District on Thursday was charged with attacking and pointing a handgun at a parking valet outside the Howard Theatre in Northwest Washington, according to court documents filed in the case.

Cpl. Michael Brown, 39, assigned to the aviation unit, was suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. He was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony, and has been released from jail and given a July 23 court date. The 12-year veteran’s police powers also have been suspended.

An acquaintance of Brown’s, Mark McCutcheon, 46, of Clinton, also was arrested in the incident. D.C. Superior Court records show that he was charged with simple assault. He also was released and is scheduled to appear in court July 23. Neither returned calls seeking comment, and defense attorneys are not yet listed in records.

The incident occurred about 10:15 p.m. on Thursday outside the theater in the 600 block of T Street NW in the Shaw neighborhood.

Court documents say McCutcheon got into an argument with a parking valet over a vehicle’s headlights that apparently had been left on while parked at the theater.

Authorities said McCutcheon struck the valet in the stomach and in the face, knocking him to the ground. Brown ran over and punched the valet in the back of the head, according to the documents. Other employees tried to pull the men off their colleague, but authorities said the two began fighting with them. McCutcheon and Brown then went back to their cars, according to the documents, grabbing a tire iron and the officer’s personal handgun.

The court papers say McCutcheon held the tire iron “in a menacing manner” and that Brown “pointed his handgun at the employees.”