High-Speed Chase Reaches 180 MPH
OCEAN CIT — A Glen Burnie man faces a slew of traffic and criminal charges this week after a high-speed chase last weekend that began in Ocean City, continued into northern Worcester County and returned back to the resort again before the suspect ditched his motorcycle and fled police on foot.
Around 3:20 a.m. last Sunday, an OCPD officer on uniformed patrol in the area of Coastal Highway and Route 90 when he heard a motorcycle accelerating at a high rate of speed. The officer noted in his report he actually heard the motorcycle accelerating before he saw it. The officer observed the operator, later identified as Deshea Brooks, 31, of Glen Burnie, heading westbound on Route 90 while following vehicles at a dangerously close distance, passing vehicles by crossing the center line on the two-lane highway and passing vehicles on the shoulder. The officer clocked Brooks going 86 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone.
According to police reports, the officer activated his lights and siren in an attempt to affect a traffic stop, but Brooks failed to stop and accelerated away even faster. With Brooks leaving Ocean City corporate limits, the OCPD officer broadcasted a description of the motorcycle and the operator to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies picked up the pursuit as the chase continued through northern Worcester County including Berlin with speeds reaching 180 mph at different times. Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies discontinued their pursuit when they learned one of their officers had stopped Brooks and issued to him a minor traffic citation prior to the OCPD’s initial contact with him. Essentially, with information on Brooks and his motorcycle already in hand, there was no reason to continue the dangerous high-speed pursuit.
Meanwhile, the OCPD officer learned Brooks was staying in Ocean City at 127th Street and set up shop on Route 90 to await his return. Sure enough, around 3:50 a.m. the OCPD officer visually and audibly tracked Brooks coming back into the resort on the same motorcycle, this time at around 60 mph in a 55 mph zone.
The OCPD officer again attempted to pull Brooks over, but the suspect did not stop and actually accelerated to 81 mph as he approached the resort. Brooks turned right onto Coastal Highway at a high rate of speed and OCPD officers swarmed the area and cornered the suspect in the area of 58th Street. Brooks abandoned the motorcycle and fled police on foot, but was soon detained after another OCPD officer targeted him with a taser.
When the original OCPD officer approached Brooks, he detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and person along with other visual signs of impairment. Brooks was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding, drunk driving and numerous traffic violations. OCPD officer found articles of clothing Brooks had been wearing in the area where he abandoned the motor cycle and also located a backpack containing the Maryland registration plates that were supposed to be attached to the motorcycle.
First-Degree Assault Charges In Knife Attack
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man faces multiple first-degree assault charges this week after allegedly attacking two cousins with a knife during an altercation at a downtown motel.
Around 8:10 p.m. on Monday, an OCPD officer patrolling in the downtown area was dispatched to a reported fight involving a knife at a motel on 5th Street. The officer arrived and met with a victim who told police he and his cousin along with a female were on the first-floor balcony when a group of individuals on the balcony above attempted to get their attention. The victim told police an individual on the second-floor balcony was harassing the female in their group, which started a verbal altercation.
Eventually, the male harassing the girl from the second-floor balcony came down and started a physical altercation with the two cousins. At some point during that melee, another suspect identified as Humzah Bashir, 20, of West Chester, Pa. came around the corner armed with a knife to assist the man fighting with the two cousins.
According to police reports, Bashir was able to get his friend away from the fight initially, but his friend went back after the two cousins and the brawl continued. One of the cousins said Bashir then attacked him with the knife and attempted to stab him. He described the weapon as a kitchen-style knife with a brown handle. The second cousin, separated from the first, corroborated the same essential facts and told police Bashir had attacked them with the knife.
The OCPD officer ascertained the suspect’s unit number from the front desk and interviewed its four occupants, including one female and three males, one of whom was later identified as Bashir, who incidentally was celebrating his 20th birthday. One by one, the OCPD officer brought the two victims upstairs and each identified Bashir as the combatant who had attacked them with a knife.
The OCPD officer spoke to the occupants of the second-floor unit including Bashir and a female, who told police there had been a physical altercation, but were adamant there was no knife involved. The officer asked Bashir and the female if he could come inside in just check to make sure there was no knife. According to police reports, the second-floor unit occupants allowed the officers to come in, telling them they had no knife other than plastic dinnerware. “You can search wherever because we don’t have a knife except for the plastic stuff,” the female told the officers, according to police reports.
The OCPD officers searched the kitchen area and the bathroom and found no knife. However, an officer lifted up a mattress and found a knife with a brown handle matching the description provided by the victims. In the meantime, another OCPD officer was able to view surveillance footage of the incident that allegedly showed Bashir advance on the two cousins swinging a knife in his right hand. According to police reports, the footage shows Bashir continue to come toward the two cousins swinging the knife until he was pulled away by the female in his group.
Bashir was charged with two counts each of first-degree and second-degree assault along with reckless endangerment. After an initial bail review hearing on Tuesday, he was ordered to be held on a $25,000 bond. He was released on Wednesday after posting the $25,000 bond, according to court documents.
Chase Ends With Stop Sticks, Foot Pursuit
OCEAN CITY — An Edgewater man faces multiple traffic and criminal charges this week after an alleged drunken high speed chase through the resort early Monday morning that ended with his vehicle disabled with stop sticks and the suspect fleeing on foot.
Around 1:20 p.m., an OCPD officer on patrol advised via police radio he had observed a silver SUV going 88 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone between 43rd and 44th Streets. Another officer in the area of 55th Street activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle, driven by Brett Paavola, 26, of Edgewater, Md., but the SUV did not slow down and blew past the patrol vehicle.
The OCPD officer pursued Paavola and observed the vehicle swerve between lanes, run a red light at 59th Street and reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour as it pulled away from the following officer. At 71st Street, Paavola swerved into the bus lane at 71st Street and passed traffic on the right. The officer later noted in the incident report there were several large groups of young adults walking the adjacent sidewalk where Paavola passed in the bus lane at a very high rate of speed.
The SUV then ran a red light at 81st Street and failed to stop, swerving between lanes as it approached 94th Street at speeds exceeding 100 mph. The pursuing officer backed off the chase as another officer deployed stop sticks in the area of 94th Street. Paavola ran over the stop sticks and the front tire began to come apart, but he continued on and ran red lights at 118th and 120th Streets before pulling into a driveway at 127th Street and fleeing on foot.
After an extensive search, Paavola was located in hiding under the parking garage at a condo building on 125th Street. Paavola was taken into custody and transported to the Public Safety Building where he had an extensive interview with the arresting officer. According to police reports, Pavola told the officer he had relapsed and had been drinking at a downtown bar and had been asked to leave.
When asked why he was going 88 mph in a 35 mph zone, Paavola told police he was used to driving a vehicle with a less powerful engine and didn’t realize he was going that fast. When asked why he didn’t stop for police vehicles with activated lights and sirens, Paavola allegedly told police he wasn’t sure if the lights were for him or if the police were pursuing someone else, so he just kept going. According to police reports, Paavola apologized and was remorseful, and also thankful no one was hurt.
Stolen Motorcycle Leads To Drugs, Gun
OCEAN CITY — A Prince George’s County man was arrested on multiple weapons charges last weekend after getting caught with a stolen motorcycle and a loaded handgun in Ocean City.
Around 12:50 a.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police responded to the area of 21st Street after reports of a motorcycle fleeing from a traffic stop. The vehicle was identified as a maroon Yamaha motorcycle and the operator was identified as Brian David, Jr., 24, of Upper Marlboro. A registration check revealed the motorcycle’s plates has been reported stolen through the Prince George’s County police department, while the motorcycle itself had been reported stolen in Fairfax, Va.
A search of David’s backpack revealed 7.5 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun. The handgun was loaded with Luger 9mm ammunition and the serial number had been removed. The Maryland Gun Center was notified and David was found to be prohibited from possessing a firearm due to an active protective order against him and active warrants through P.G. County and Colonial Heights, Va.
David was charged with handgun on person, handgun in vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, altering the ID number of a handgun, motor vehicle theft and theft less than $100.
Sleeping In Library
OCEAN PINES — A West Ocean City man was arrested on heroin possession charges last week after police found him asleep on a computer keyboard at the library in Ocean Pines.
Around 2:45 p.m. last Tuesday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the Worcester County Public Library branch in Ocean Pines for a reported suspicious person. Upon arrival, the deputy located an individual, later identified as Robert Lazzell, 22, of West Ocean City, asleep on a computer keyboard.
During a search of Lazzell, the deputy found 35 packages of suspected heroin. Lazzell was arrested for possession of heroin, and it was later revealed he was also wanted in Worcester County for a different case. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held on a $3,000 bond.
Traffic Stop Nets Heroin Bust
BISHOPVILLE — A Willards man was arrested on drug possession charges this week after police questioned him about a spree of burglaries in the Bishopville area.
Around 10:40 a.m. on Monday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was driving north on Route 113 in the area of Jarvis Rd. and observed a white Ford passenger vehicle parked in a cul-de-sac. The deputy decided to question the operator of the vehicle in relation to a string of recent burglaries in the area.
The deputy initiated a conversation with the driver, later identified as Mohamed Anoua, 24, of Willards, and observed an uncapped syringe containing suspected heroin at Anoua’s feet. A search of Anoua revealed another syringe in his pocket and a suspected oxycodone pill on another pocket for which he did not have a prescription. Anoua was arrested and charged with possession of CDS.
