Officer Uses Taser To Prevent Attack
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean View man had to be tased last weekend after first attempting to punch a bartender at a downtown bar and later attempting to attack an Ocean City Police officer with a belt and belt buckle fashioned as a weapon in the street.
Around 11:40 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on foot patrol in the downtown area observed a man later identified as Jacob Harden, 45, of Ocean View, Del., standing in the middle of Dorchester Street yelling expletives including alleged threats directed at police officers. According to police reports, Harden also had a leather belt wrapped around his right hand with about six inches of the leather portion and a metal belt buckle dangling and fashioned as a weapon.
As the officer approached, Harden allegedly told police “let’s go,” and took a fighting stance with the belt still fashioned as a weapon in his right hand and his left hand clenched in a fist. According to police reports, Harden said “[expletive deleted] cops,” and “I will [expletive deleted] you up.”
At that point, Harden allegedly approached one of the OCPD officers holding the belt raised as if he was going to strike the officer. Harden then lunged at the officer, who was able to avoid a strike by the belt and position himself behind Harden. The officer was able to tackle Harden to the ground, but the suspect continued to scrap with police and resist arrest.
At that point, another OCPD officer deployed his Taser with two probes striking Harden in the back. Harden swung his hand around and was able to disconnect the two Taser probes and continued to resist, but was soon handcuffed and subdued although he continued his expletive-laced tirade toward the officers. According to police reports, Harden attempted to spit on the arresting officers, who eventually applied a violent prisoner restraint device on the suspect.
While on the scene, an OCPD officer was approached by an off-duty Maryland Transportation Authority police sergeant who stated he witnessed Harden attempt to assault a bartender at a nearby bar. The witness told police Harden entered the bar and immediately became aggressive with numerous patrons. When the female bartender asked Harden to leave, he allegedly attempted to strike her multiple times with a closed fist.
The bartender was interviewed and told police Harden had attempted to strike her multiple times with a closed fist, but she was able to lean back and avoid the strikes. Bar patrons were eventually able to escort Harden out of the establishment and the bartender closed both doors to prevent him from returning. Harden was ultimately charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Jail For Gift Card Scheme
OCEAN CITY — Two New York residents, arrested late last summer after allegedly carrying out a gift card scheme at several resort businesses totaling thousands of dollars, were found guilty of theft last week and each was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Last Aug. 28, the Ocean City Police Department’s Investigation Division Major Crimes Unit began investigating a series of suspicious purchases that had been made at numerous resort businesses. During the investigation, it was determined a female suspect and a male suspect were purchasing large quantities of gift cards using various types of other Visa gift cards containing stolen credit card information.
Several of the purchases were contested by the credit card companies resulting in the businesses suffering a loss as a result of the thefts. A total of six businesses in Ocean City suffered a combined loss of roughly $5,500 in gift card sales between Aug. 14 and Aug. 20. Last September, the suspects, identified as Sean Luke, 23, of Rosedale, N.Y., and Aaliyah Johnson, 20, of Queens, N.Y. were located and arrested around 10:30 a.m. Luke and Johnson were charged with theft less than $10,000, three counts of theft less than $1,000 and theft scheme less than $10,000. Last week, both were found guilty of theft scheme from $1,000 to under $10,000 and each was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Fine For Gun Replica
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested in June along with four others on theft, deadly weapon and forged currency charges after getting nabbed in the resort with a stolen bicycle, pleaded guilty this week to possession of a gun replica and was fined $500.
Around 2 p.m. on June 16, OCPD officers were on routine patrol in the area of 17th Street when they observed five males walking south on Baltimore Avenue. A short time later, the officers observed the same five men walking north on Baltimore Avenue, but now one of them had a silver beach cruiser. The officers observed the bicycle to be an Electra beach cruiser with an Eden Roc rental sticker on it. The officers knew the bike belonged to the Phillips Beach Plaza due to several other investigations of bike thefts in the same area over the prior several days. The officer stopped the men and asked them where they got the bike and the suspects replied they had found it and pointed south toward the Beach Plaza.
At that point, Daquan Reid-Hayes, 20, of Harrisburg, Pa., was placed under arrest for theft, but his companions, identified as Troy Street, 21, Donte Yates, 20, Lorenzo Rowland, 30, and Saleem Mayfield, 19, all of Harrisburg, Pa., left the area. Reid-Hayes was searched incident to his arrest and he was found to be holding marijuana and a grinder in his hand. When asked for identification, Reid-Hayes told police it was in Yates’ black car in the parking garage at a nearby hotel.
Earlier in the day, Ocean City police got a report from several unknown citizens about five African-American males in possession of a handgun in a black car parked in the same parking garage and that they had stolen items from them the prior evening. One of the victims reported a belt valued at $400 had been stolen from his apartment. That belt was later found in the trunk of Yates’ vehicle.
The OCPD officers had Reid-Hayes walk with them to the vehicle in the parking garage. During a K-9 scan, the presence of controlled dangerous substance was detected. A search of the vehicle netted a replica Powerline handgun in a black backpack that contained several IDs with the name Troy Street, another TDP replica handgun in a black duffel bag, $700 worth of fraudulent $100 bills in a blue duffel bag, the aforementioned expensive belt, a black Coach belt, a wallet, two Nixon watches and a Canon digital EOS Rebel camera.
Each of the replica handguns had similar design components of real handguns, but were only capable of firing BBs. Based on the evidence, OCPD officers believe the camera, the Nixon watches and the Coach merchandize had been stolen because they were randomly located in the trunk with no shopping bags, but with the price tags still on them. There were also no store receipts in the vehicle.
Based on the investigation, police believe the five suspects had been using the replica handguns and participating in stealing belongings from individuals and stores in the Ocean City area. Each was charged with multiple counts of theft, possession of forged currency and possession of a gun replica.
This week, Yates pleaded guilty to possession of a replica gun and was fined $500. Reid-Hayes failed to appear for court in July and had a warrant sworn for his arrest. Rowland and Mayfield had the charges against them placed on the stet, or inactive, docket earlier this summer.
Fined After Leaving Scene
OCEAN CITY — A Brookeville, Md. man, arrested in May on drunk-driving and malicious destruction of property charges after hitting two cars on Coastal Highway and late destroying a light fixture in his holding cell, was found guilty last week of driving under the influence per se and failure to remain at the scene and was fined a $500 for each count.
Around 5:20 p.m. on May 28, OCPD officers responded to a reported hit-and-run crash involving two attended motor vehicles on Coastal Highway in the area of 74th Street. The investigation revealed a Nissan Sentra was traveling north on Coastal Highway when it entered the westbound turn lane at 74th Street and struck a vehicle from behind causing damage. The Nissan then veered into the center lane of Coastal Highway, striking another vehicle that had the right-of-way before leaving the scene.
A few minutes later, OCPD officers were able to stop the Nissan at 72nd Street and identified the driver as Robert Leifer, 22, of Brookeville, Md. Upon approaching Leifer, officers detected the strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and person. He was arrested and later submitted to a breath test, which resulted in a .10 reading.
As a result, Leifer was charged with driving under the influence and while impaired along with numerous traffic charges related to the hit-and-run incidents. Hours later, while in a holding cell at police headquarters, Leifer allegedly damaged a light fixture intentionally and malicious destruction of property charges were added. Last week, Leifer was found guilty of driving under the influence per se and failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving property damage and was fined $500 for each offense.
