OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer arrested and charged with driving under the influence last week after a holiday party was terminated by Chief Bernadette DiPino on Monday following an administrative hearing.
OCPD Officer Wilbur Thomas Jesson was arrested early last Wednesday morning in Delaware when his car left the roadway along Route 113 after leaving an Ocean City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 10 Christmas party. Jesson was driving on Route 113 near Georgetown, Del., short before 1 a.m. last Wednesday when his vehicle left the roadway and struck road signs before becoming disabled.
Delaware State Police responded to the accident scene and believed Jesson to be under the influence of alcohol. He was taken into custody and charged with DUI before being released to another OCPD officer. Jesson earlier had left a Delaware restaurant around 1 a.m. after attending a Christmas party sponsored by Ocean City’s FOP Lodge 10. Other attendees realized Jesson had too much to drink to drive and made arrangements for him to get a ride, but he apparently snuck out and decided to drive.
On Monday, Jesson’s position with the OCPD was terminated following an administrative hearing. His dismissal was announced after a meeting with DiPino on Monday morning.
“This is a very disappointing day,” the chief said. “Here is a young man that has so much potential. He was a fine, new officer, but his poor decision led to the end of his career with the OCPD I feel bad for him personally, but this was not acceptable conduct for an Ocean City Police officer.”
Jesson graduated from the Police Academy in June after a career in the U.S. Marines and had been with the department for a little under a year. While his dismissal after the administrative hearing on Monday closes the Ocean City portion of the case, Jesson still faces charges in Delaware for the incident.
See Friday’s print and website editions of The Dispatch for all of this week’s news.