Officer Assault Alleged

Officer Assault Alleged
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OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a resort police officer last weekend during an altercation at an uptown residence.

Around 7:15 p.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a residence on 142nd Street to assist with an EMS call for a female who had possibly had a stroke. Emergency Services staffers evaluated the woman in question, but she refused medical assistance. While on scene, the OCPD officer encountered a man in the residence described as very intoxicated who was uncooperative and subject to mood swings, according to police reports.

While OCPD officers were evaluating the situation to determine if it was safe for the female victim, the intoxicated male, identified as Ronald Cantrell, 51, of Ocean City, continued to complicate the incident. The officers asked Cantrell to go outside with them and he refused. An officer than noticed a folding pocket knife clipped to Cantrell’s front pants pocket and took it from him for safety reasons. The officer attempted to explain to Cantrell he would give the knife back when they left, but that made him angry.

Cantrell then tried to walk into the room where another officer was talking with the female victim, but when the officer attempted to stop him, Cantrell allegedly shoved the officer aside. The officer then grabbed Cantrell from behind by the shirt and told him to go back and sit down. According to police reports, Cantrell then came toward the officer with both hands in front of him and shoved him in the chest.

According to police reports, Cantrell’s hands slipped down and he grabbed the officer behind his left knee. When the officer tried to resist, Cantrell allegedly lifted the officers leg and shoved him backwards, forcing the officer to hop on one foot to avoid falling until Cantrell had pushed him back about 10 feet into a kitchen counter. The officer struck Cantrell with a palm slap to the side of his face, but the strike was ineffective, according to police reports.

When the officer ordered Cantrell to let go of his leg, he refused, forcing the officer to strike him three more times in the face with straight punches, according to police reports. Cantrell allegedly refused to let go of the officer’s leg, forcing another officer to administer several knee strikes to the suspect’s side. He eventually let go and was arrested and charged with second-degree assault on an officer and resisting arrest.

Pound Of Pot Seized

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man and a juvenile were arrested on marijuana possession charges last weekend at the conclusion of an undercover drug distribution investigation.

Last Saturday, the OCPD narcotics unit concluded a one-year undercover investigation involving employees of Coins Pub with the acquisition of a search and seizure warrant for the establishment. Just prior to serving the warrant, OCPD officers observed a juvenile employee leave the establishment in a vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, during which a half a pound of marijuana was recovered. The juvenile was arrested at that time.

At approximately 8 p.m., uniformed OCPD patrol officers along with some undercover narcotics detectives served a search and seizure warrant on the restaurant. During the search, several items of drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana were located and recovered in the kitchen area in plain view. As a result, a second employee identified as Paul Kirk Garrett, 41, of Ocean City, was also arrested.

Later that evening, OCPD narcotics detectives, working in conjunction with members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team, went to the juvenile suspect’s West Ocean City residence and recovered roughly a half-pound of marijuana. In all, roughly one pound of marijuana was seized along with associated paraphernalia and currency. The juvenile’s vehicle was also seized.

Garrett was charged with possession of marijuana and was released on his own recognizance. The juvenile was charged with two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of paraphernalia and was released to the custody of a legal guardian. The restaurant’s management reportedly terminated those involved in the case following the incident.

Car Wash Burglars Sought

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Police Department this week is seeking the public’s help in identifying two suspects from a burglary at a mid-town car wash earlier this month.

On Feb. 2, OCPD officers responded to the Oasis Car Wash in reference to a reported theft. The investigation revealed the suspects had broken into one of the automatic car wash kiosk’s change machine and had taken an undisclosed amount of money from the machine. Detectives recovered evidence at the scene as well as video surveillance images of two individuals police believe may have information about the theft.

One suspect is described as a white male with facial hair who was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a tan or green jacket at the time of the incident. The other suspect is described as a white male with short hair wearing a green army jacket and tan pants at the time of the incident. The OCPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the two individual’s captured on the car wash’s video surveillance tapes. Anyone with information is urged to contact OCPD Detective Shawn Jones at 410-723-6604.

Suspended Sentence For Spotlighting

SNOW HILL – A Salisbury man arrested on numerous charges in Worcester County in October after police observed him spotlighting and shooting deer from a vehicle pleaded guilty last week in District Court to casting rays with an implement and was sentenced to 25 days in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of probation and a hefty fine.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2009, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) observed a man later identified as Kevin Matthew Twilley, 30, of Salisbury, poaching deer at night by shining a spotlight on a field along Scotty Rd. in Worcester County from his vehicle. NRP officer then observed Twilley take a shot at a deer, which had been spotlighted in the field adjacent to the roadway.

As NRP officers approached the vehicle, Twilley fled the scene. After a brief chase, NRP officers stopped Twilley, with the assistance of Pocomoke Police, on Route 13 near Dividing Creek Rd. A check of Twilley’s driver’s license revealed it was suspended and a check of the license plate on the vehicle revealed it was stolen from the Berlin area in July. Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in the arrest.

Twilley was charged with casting rays of artificial light capable of killing deer, hunting deer out of season, shooting from a roadway, hunting on private land without permission, hunting from a vehicle, theft, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving and numerous other traffic-related violations. Last week in District Court, Twilley pleaded guilty to spotlighting deer and driving on a suspended license and was sentenced to 25 days in jail, all of which was suspended. He was then fined $1,000 and placed on probation for two years.

Probation, Other Charges Dropped

SNOW HILL – An Ocean Pines man arrested on drunk-driving and trespassing charges in December after allegedly entering a Berlin neighborhood seeking to buy drugs was found guilty last week in District Court to driving while impaired and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, all of which was suspended.

Around 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2009, Berlin Police were in the Bay Terrace Apartments when they observed a white truck enter the residential complex. Berlin police were directed to a crowd in the parking lot who told the officers the driver of the truck, later identified as Jeffrey Grove, 35, of Ocean Pines, was allegedly trying to buy drugs from them.

Berlin police made contact with Grove and detected a moderate odor of alcohol on his breath and person, according to police reports. Grove was asked to complete field sobriety tests, which were not completed satisfactorily, according to police reports. Grove was charged with driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated.

He was also charged with trespassing on posted property after he could not adequately tell police what he was doing in the neighborhood. According to police reports, Grove told officers he was looking for an employee at 3 a.m., but was unable to provide a full name for the employee, an address or even a cell phone number, according to police reports. Last week in District Court, Grove pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, all of which was suspended. The other charges against him were not prosecuted.

Armed Robbery Case

Forwarded To Circuit

SNOW HILL – An Ocean Pines man arrested in December on armed robbery and assault charges had his case forwarded to Circuit Court last week after a preliminary hearing at the District Court level determined there was probable cause in the case against him.

Shortly after 8 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2009, Ocean Pines Police officers and Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Walgreen’s store on Manklin Creek Rd. in Ocean Pines for a reported attempted armed robbery. The investigation revealed a suspect entered the warehouse area of the store and accosted a female employee. The suspect was described at the time as an Hispanic or Asian male, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt or jacket, camouflage pants and a dark-colored bandana covering his face.

The suspect, armed with a knife, demanded the female employee take him to a cash register inside the main store. Once inside, the employee was able to flee the victim, who gave up the effort and fled on foot. Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies, including a K-9 unit, conducted an extensive search of the area but failed to immediately locate the suspect.

However, Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) detectives took over the investigation and were later able to identify the suspect as Patrick William Self, 18, of Ocean Pines, who was arrested and charged with armed robbery, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment among others. Self appeared in District Court last week and had his case forwarded to Circuit Court. 

Berlin Family Displaced By Fire

BERLIN – A mid-day residential fire in Berlin last Thursday severely damaged a home on Maple Ave. and displaced the family living there.

Around 12:45 p.m. last Thursday, the Berlin Fire Company responded to a reported fire at a residence on Maple Ave. First arriving units reported fire showing from one side of the single-story residential dwelling. Fire companies from Showell and Ocean Pines also responded and the fire was quickly extinguished with no injuries reported.

The fire was contained to room of origin, but heavy heat and smoke damage was reported in the remainder of the dwelling. The fire originated in the living room and the cause was determined to be accidental. The Red Cross was contacted to assist the family.

Coast Guard Rescues Ill Man

OCEAN CITY – The Coast Guard was called into action on Monday to airlift an ill man from a fishing boat roughly 60 miles off the coast of Ocean City.

Around 2:15 p.m. on Monday, the Coast Guard received a call from a crewmember aboard the fishing boat “Emily Brook” reporting a 61-year-old crewman was experiencing shortness of breath due to asthma and needed emergency medical assistance. A rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City arrived on the scene and hoisted the unidentified man aboard their chopper. The man was then transported to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin for treatment.

No New Jail Time

In Prescription Fraud

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man arrested in June for posing as a doctor to call in fake prescriptions for painkillers to resort pharmacies pleaded guilty last week to obtaining prescriptions by fraud and was sentenced to 97 days in jail.

On June 11, 2009, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) narcotics unit conducted a pharmaceutical drug investigation involving a suspect, later identified as Shannon Sanders Alexander, 38, of Ocean City, who had been representing himself as a doctor from Laurel, Md. and calling in fraudulent Hydrocodone prescriptions to local pharmacies.

OCPD detectives were made aware of Alexander’s alleged activity when they were contacted by the CVS pharmacy on 120th Street after the pharmacist became suspicious of the suspect’s request for the drugs and the manner in which they were being prescribed. Detectives later learned the individual for whom the medication had been fraudulently prescribed had recently been discharged as a patient from a Laurel, Md. doctor’s office.

During the investigation, detectives learned Alexander had been discharged as a patient from the doctor’s office several months ago because of repeated attempts to phone in fraudulent prescriptions by posing as a doctor. Detectives later arrested Alexander at the CVS on 120th Street as he attempted to pick up a prescription for Hydrocodone he had called in by representing himself as a doctor.

During the arrest, OCPD officers also found marijuana in Alexander’s possession. He has been charged with obtaining a CDS prescription by fraud, obtaining a CDS prescription by impersonation, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Last week in District Court, Alexander pleaded guilty to obtaining prescription by fraud and was sentenced to 97 days in jail. He was then given credit for the 97 days he spend in jail awaiting trial.