Shotgun Repo Standoff Caught on Camera Leads to Arrest

Earleville, MD – March 7, 2025 – A volatile and life-threatening clash with two repossession agents exploded last week leading to a man’s arrest. The Pinewood Road resident allegedly leveled a loaded shotgun at two Repossessors as they tried to seize a tractor from his property. The harrowing confrontation, captured on chilling video, has sparked grave criminal charges and uncovered his outlawed possession of firearms.

The incident began on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at approximately 12:40 p.m., when two unnamed Repossessors, ages 35 and 47, arrived at the property of 62-year-old John Walter Booth, a resident of the 200 block of Pinewood Road, to recover a tractor. According to Cecil County District Court records, the workers contacted Booth and informed him of their intent.

Booth, however, refused to comply, allegedly telling the men they were not taking the tractor. He then retrieved a shotgun from a nearby shed, racked a round into the chamber, and pointed the weapon at the younger worker seated on the tractor.

Moments later, he directed the barrel toward the second employee as he retreated to the company truck, court documents state.

Maryland State Police troopers from the North East Barrack were dispatched to the scene following reports of a man brandishing a long gun and refusing to lower it. By the time they arrived, Booth had returned the shotgun to the shed, police said.

Investigators later confiscated the weapon, discovering it was loaded with one round in the chamber and two shells in the magazine tube.

The repossession workers’ account was substantiated by dashboard camera footage from their company truck. After one of the employees provided the camera’s memory card to police, investigators reviewed the video, which allegedly showed Booth retrieving the shotgun, loading it, and aiming it at both men.

“The memory card was reviewed and confirmed that Booth had obtained the shotgun, loaded a round into the chamber by racking it, and pointed it in the direction of the two repossession agents,” the charging document states.

During questioning, Booth admitted to arming himself with the shotgun but denied pointing it at the workers, according to police. However, the video evidence contradicted his claim.

Further investigation revealed that Booth is legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction, a detail confirmed by a trooper’s call to the Maryland Gun Center.

Booth was arrested at the scene on Tuesday and now faces five criminal charges, including first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony or crime of violence. Following his arrest, he was held at the Cecil County Detention Center.

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Cecil County District Court Judge Clara E. Campbell presided over his bail review hearing, after which Booth was ordered detained without bond. As of Thursday, March 6, 2025, he remained in custody, with court records reflecting the gravity of the charges against him.

This incident, captured in stark detail by the dashboard camera footage, underscores the risks faced by repossession agents and the value in swift response of law enforcement in averting a potentially tragic outcome. Booth’s case now awaits further proceedings in the Cecil County judicial system.