A chaotic 2020 chase that tore down U.S. 15 from Pennsylvania into Emmitsburg has now landed a Hanover, Pa., man a 35-year prison term in Maryland. Prosecutors say the cross-state pursuit, punctuated by gunfire from a fleeing pickup, left bystanders rattled, a passenger dead, and multiple officers narrowly missed by bullets.
Sentence and Conviction
The Frederick County State's Attorney's Office says 48-year-old David Leatherman was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in Maryland, to be served consecutively to the 8-to-16-year sentence he is already serving in Pennsylvania for aggravated assault. He will also face five years of probation if and when he is released.
According to CBS Baltimore, Leatherman was found guilty in November 2025 after entering an Alford plea, a legal maneuver that allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction.
How the Chase Unfolded
Court records and local reporting describe a multi-agency response on Oct. 19, 2020, after officers in Pennsylvania tried to stop a stolen vehicle that refused to pull over. The truck crossed into Frederick County along U.S. 15, where authorities say it hit speeds of up to 120 mph and cut across roads, fields, and residential properties in an effort to escape.
Stop sticks finally disabled the vehicle near the Route 140 intersection. During the pursuit, Leatherman fired several shots at Cumberland Township Police Chief Don Boehs and then intentionally steered the truck toward a Pennsylvania state trooper attempting to deploy a tire-deflation device, according to WMAR2News.
Apprehension and Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
Once the truck was disabled, Leatherman and his passenger, 38-year-old Bryan Selmer, bailed out and ran. Officers tackled Leatherman and took him into custody. Selmer ran toward downtown Emmitsburg and was shot by deputies, later dying at Shock Trauma.
Prosecutors said a firearm was found in the grass near the abandoned truck and argued that the pursuit put nearby residents and children in danger. At sentencing, the judge said she saw “no basis upon which [he is] safe in our community,” and Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith labeled Leatherman “a menace to society,” as reported by CBS Baltimore.
Legal Review and Context
The Frederick County State's Attorney's Office previously reviewed the October 2020 officer-involved shooting and announced in January 2021 that deputies were justified in firing, according to contemporaneous reporting.
Defense attorneys for Leatherman did not offer immediate public comment in recent coverage. For now, court records and statements from prosecutors provide the main documented account of how the case unfolded and concluded, per The Daily Record.
