Bouncer, Patrons Avert Stabbing After Owner Breaks Up Fight
OCEAN CITY — A Connecticut man was charged with first-degree assault this week after pulling a knife and nearly stabbing a resort bar owner during a scuffle.
Around 1:40 a.m. on Monday, Ocean City Police was dispatched to the Sandbar Karaoke Lounge on 33rd Street for a reported fight in progress. When the officer arrived, she observed three men, including bar owner Eric Thompson and two employees, holding down a third man, later identified as Justin J. Parlow, 22, of Derby, Conn.
One of the employees pointed to some nearby bushes and told the officer “the knife is in there,” according to police reports. The officer interviewed Thompson, who told police just before their arrival, Parlow had been involved in a physical altercation with other patrons outside of the bar. Thompson told police when he went outside to break up the fight, Parlow “bear hugged” him and tackled him to the ground.
The victim said at one point when he was trying to wrestle away from Parlow on the ground, the suspect pulled out a folding knife, opened the blade and pushed it toward his left thigh. The victim told police he could feel the blade of the knife touch his thigh after Parlow pulled it out and pushed it toward him. Thompson told police he thought Parlow was going to stab him.
Thompson said at that point, bouncer Tyler Lundy and several other bar employees and patrons jumped on Parlow to try to wrestle the knife from his right hand.
Lundy told police Parlow and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument with another couple outside the bar and that Parlow’s girlfriend had assaulted the male half of the other couple. Lundy said at that point, Thompson came out to break up the fight and Parlow wrestled him to the ground. The bouncer said as Thompson was trying to push Parlow off of him, the suspect pulled out the knife and pushed it toward Thompson’s thigh.
Lundy said he and other bar patrons jumped on Parlow and he was eventually able to kick the knife from the suspect’s hand and then threw it in the bushes out of Parlow’s reach. Lundy told police he was in fear for his own life and for Thompson’s life. Several other witnesses corroborated the victims’ account of the incident.
Another OCPD officer recovered the weapon, a folding knife with a three-inch blade, in the bushes. Parlow was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and openly carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was later released on a $25,000 bond.
Man Pulls Out Knife After Being Turned Away At Door
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested and charged with first-degree assault last weekend after allegedly pulling a knife and threatening a downtown bar co-owner who refused to allow him to enter the establishment near closing time.
Shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Ocean City Police officers on bike patrol responded to the area of the party block on 17th Street for a report of an individual displaying a knife. When the officers arrived, they observed a man, later identified as Tyler N. Cole, 21, of Natrona Heights, Pa., walking away from the area and were informed by bar staff Cole was the suspect who had pulled out the knife and threatened bar co-owner Ralph DeAngelus. The officers detained Cole and when they asked him if he had any weapons on him, he reportedly responded, “I have a knife but I wasn’t trying to harm anybody.”
The officers then interviewed DeAngelus, who told police he refused to allow Cole to enter the nightclub because he appeared to be highly intoxicated. According to police reports, after Cole was denied entry, he became extremely agitated and verbally abusive.
DeAngelus told police Cole then started speaking in a language he did not understand. According to the witness statement, Cole then bent down on one knee and pulled out a knife. DeAngelus told police Cole flipped open the knife blade and, “looked as though he was going to charge me,” according to police reports. DeAngelus told police he believed Cole was looking for an opportunity to stab him or another doorman.
After Cole was read his rights, he agreed to speak freely about the incident. Cole told police, “I pulled the knife out to cut a string off of my shirt.” When asked what he used the knife for, Cole reportedly responded “to cut things, but not to harm anyone.”
The arresting officer noted in his report Cole was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and that he was sweating profusely. The OCPD officers reviewed security system footage provided by the nightclub, which corroborated the victim’s account of the incident.
According to the police report, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. during a time when there was a large crowd leaving the establishment at closing time. The report indicates Cole opened the knife blade and displayed it as if he intended to use it and his actions “created a substantial risk of serious injury or death to the individuals around him.”
The knife was recovered from Cole’s right front pocket during the incident. He was charged with first-degree assault, attempted second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. He was later released after posting a $10,000 bond.