OCEAN CITY — Three New York residents were arrested on various charges including assault, disorderly conduct and obstructing and hindering after battling verbally and physically with police and paramedics after their friend was involved in a pedestrian collision.
Around 10:10 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in the area of Coastal Highway and 67th Street. According to police reports, the pedestrian sustained minor injuries and was assessed by Ocean City EMS in an ambulance on the scene.
When an OCPD officer arrived, they encountered a group of people who were friends of the injured pedestrian and witnesses to the collision. According to police reports, the group was argumentative with the police on scene and other first-responders. One member of the group, identified as Danielle Gurtowitz, 25, of Huntington, N.Y., was screaming expletives at officers and the paramedics.
Gurtowitz reportedly demanded to be allowed into the ambulance, but paramedics told her she could not because of her argumentative and apparently intoxicated state. Another member of the group, identified as Liam Brennan, 21, also of Huntington, N.Y., demanded the OCPD officer’s identification information because he wanted to file a complaint. The officer provided the information verbally and told Brennan he would write it down for him after the accident scene was cleared.
According to police reports, Liam Brennan launched expletives at the OCPD officers and told them they were all going to be fired the next day and that his relative was [New York] Mayor [Bill] De Blasio. Ocean City EMS personnel were distracted by the group’s expletive-laced rantings at the police and paramedics and a large crowd started to gather on the sidewalks around the incident scene. The OCPD officers told members of the group they could be dissatisfied with the police and paramedic service, but they could not continue to scream and yell and pointed out a group of people on the opposite side of the street had gathered.
Another member of the group, identified as Michael Brennan, 25, of Huntington, N.Y., also launched expletives at the OCPD officers and paramedics and attempted to pry open the rear door of the ambulance as Ocean City EMS attempted to close it. Gurtowitz then demanded that OCPD transport the group to the hospital to follow up on their injured friend. OCPD officers told Gurtowitz they were not going to transport the group and gave the name of the hospital and directions. Gurtowitz reportedly told the officers they had to transport them to the hospital and that it was the law in New York. The OCPD officer replied he did not know the laws in New York, but reminded Gurtowitz she was in Maryland and they would not be transporting the group.
Gurtowitz allegedly launched into an expletive-laced tirade at the police officers that had now lasted roughly 25 minutes. Having heard enough, the OCPD officers escorted Gurtowitz and Liam Brennan to a separate area and informed Gurtowitz she was under arrest and attempted to handcuff her. While the officer was attempting to detail Gurtowitz, Liam Brennan approached from behind and attempted to stop the officer from handcuffing her despite being told to stand back. Liam Brennan was then arrested and charged with assault and interfering with an arrest.
With Gurtowitz and Liam Brennan now in custody, Michael Brennan continued to scream at police. All three suspects were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing and hindering. Liam Brennan was also charged with second-degree assault.
