Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration

This past April, MVA Police were notified that an unclothed male juvenile was running throughout the MVA complex parking lots. Several individuals engaged in the pursuit of the juvenile including Keonia, a Driver’s License Agent, and Officers Knox and Johnson. The juvenile ran from the parking lots onto the main road toward the highway ramp with these individuals in pursuit. Once Keonia, a motorist, and Officer Knox were able gain control of him, Officer Johnson immediately recognized the juvenile exhibited signs of being on the autism spectrum disorder and was non-verbal. She engaged in several techniques that have been proven to be effective strategies for law enforcement officers when interacting with an autistic individual. Meanwhile, the juvenile’s mother contacted local police to report her missing autistic child. They had been staying at a nearby hotel when the child wandered off hotel property. Officer Johnson continued to identify strategies to calm the young man down, and mother and son were reunited. Thanks to the quick response by Keonia, Officers Knox and Johnson, the situation came to a successful closure; the young autistic child was able to continue the journey with his mother unharmed.​