Beer Cans Tossed At Cops
OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury man was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly whipping full beer cans at Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers attempting to investigate a noise violation at a house party in the downtown area.
Around 1:40 a.m. last Friday, OCPD officers discovered a large house party at a residence between 2nd and 3rd streets with loud noise emanating from over a block away. OCPD officers observed roughly 40 people on the third story deck of the residential building.
As OCPD officers walked up the back steps of the residence, they observed Trevor Lafrance, 18, of Salisbury, throw a full, unopened beer can at one of the officers. According to police reports, Lafrance wound his arm behind his back and launched it forward with great force, sending the beer can in the direction of one of the officers, nearly striking the officer in the head. The officer avoided getting struck in the head, but the full beer can did strike the officer in the arm, according to police reports.
When the crowd of partiers saw police, they ran inside the unit. However, they began to trickle out again onto the deck. Lafrance allegedly emerged from the unit and threw another full, unopened beer can at one of the officers, nearly striking the officer in the head. According to police reports, Lafrance was yelling derogatory expletives at the officers.
The landlord arrived and assisted OCPD officers with removing the revelers from the house. When Lafrance emerged, he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree assault.
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Passed Out Naked In Jeep
OCEAN CITY — A Nottingham, Md. man was arrested on indecent exposure and other charges this week after allegedly being found passed out in his vehicle with no pants on.
Around 6:35 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) responded to the area of 54th Street for a reported male individual passed out in a gold-colored Jeep. The officer arrived and approached the vehicle, which was in the travel portion of the roadway about three feet from the curb. The officer approached and observed the suspect, later identified as Justin Walters, 32, passed out in the driver’s seat and naked from the waist down.
OCPD officers determined Walters’ license was suspended. A K-9 search of the vehicle met with positive results and various pieces of marijuana paraphernalia were locate inside. While the search was going on, several people began to pass by the scene on the way to the beach while others gathered on nearby balconies.
OCPD officers noted in the report Walters was naked from the waist down with his pants down around his ankles. According to police reports, the groups of passersby and others on balconies had a clear view of Walters’ private parts. When the officers told Walters to put his shorts on, he immediately started the vehicle as if to leave the scene, according to police reports. However, Walters told police he thought the officers instructed him to move the vehicle. Walters was ultimately arrested and charged with indecent exposure and other charges related to his suspended license.
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Man Rushes Club Stage
OCEAN CITY — A Frederick, Md. man was arrested on malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct charges last weekend after allegedly rushing the stage at a midtown nightclub and knocking over band equipment.
Last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department officers were dispatched to Seacrets at 49th Street for a reported malicious destruction of property incident. OCPD officers arrived and found security had a suspect, Samuel Weir, 21, sitting on the curb outside.
OCPD officers learned Weir rushed the stage and knocked over equipment that was being used for a concert. The owner of the expensive equipment told police he was on stage when the incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. The witness told police Weir rushed onto the stage and yelled something into a microphone. When bar security attempted to remove him, Weir allegedly ran into several large pieces of equipment, knocking them to the ground and damaging them.
While officers were talking with Weir while he was sitting on the curb outside, the suspect allegedly launched into an expletive-laced tirade against the officers, attracting the attention of passersby, who were clearly disgusted, according to police reports. Weir was ultimately charged with malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct.
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$50 Offer To Fight On Boardwalk
OCEAN CITY — An Ohio man was arrested on assault charges last weekend after allegedly confronting a man and his girlfriend on the Boardwalk and offering him money to fight before abruptly punching him in the face.
Around 12:45 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were patrolling the beach around 4th Street when they reportedly heard yelling and a loud commotion coming from the Boardwalk area. The officers approached and observed a crowd of as many as 25 people gathered on the Boardwalk.
OCPD officers then observed a man running onto the beach while being chased by a suspect, later identified as Jesse Pierce, 30, of Barnesville, Ohio. As officers approached, they observed Pierce punch the victim in the shoulder, causing the victim to fall to the ground on the beach. The investigation revealed Pierce and his group approached the victim and his girlfriend and offered the victim $50 for him to fight Pierce.
When the victim declined the offer, Pierce allegedly punched him in the face anyway. When the victim ran onto the beach to avoid more conflict, Pierce chased him and struck him again, according to police reports. Pierce was charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
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Jail Tor Trashing Hotel Room
OCEAN CITY — An Elkridge, Md. man, arrested in June on malicious destruction of property and false imprisonment charges after allegedly trashing a high-end, mid-town hotel room in a rage, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 10 days in jail.
Around 2:20 a.m. on June 23, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel at 56th Street for a reported domestic assault in progress. Upon arrival, OCPD officers could hear a woman screaming from an unknown room, according to police reports. A hotel employee told the officers he had called the police because he could hear a woman screaming and heard objects being broken in unit 202.
The officers reportedly heard the woman sobbing and the man growling as another large object hit the door, according to police reports. The OCPD officer decided at that point they needed immediate entry into the room and instructed to hotel employee to unlock the door with a master key. The OCPD officer drew his electronic control weapon, or taser, and tried to enter the room but found it blocked with several large pieces of furniture.
The OCPD officers used the weight of their bodies to force the door open enough to enter the room. The officers entered in found the room to be in disarray. Two tables in front of the door were broken, a large flower pot was broken, two large bed posts were broken and were blocking the door and several other glass objects including two lamps were broken on the floor.
According to police reports, the officer also turned to the corner of the room and saw a female victim sitting on the floor completely naked and crying hysterically. When the officer asked the victim were the suspect was, she reportedly pointed toward the deck. Officers then went to the deck and observed a naked male, later identified as Morgan Morris, 26, of Elkridge, Md., in the bay directly beneath the second-floor balcony.
The responding officers called for back-up officers to respond to assist with getting Morris out of the bay while they kept a visual on his from the balcony. Another officer was eventually able to get Morris out of the bay and he was taken into custody without further incident.
The officers questioned the victim, who was still crying hysterically and was still naked. She told police everything was fine throughout the day, but when the couple returned to the hotel, Morris allegedly went into a rage and that she had never seen him so angry. The victim told police Morris had picked up and thrown almost everything in the room. The victim told police Morris through a chair, a lamp and various other items at her during his rage.
The victim also told police Morris had broken off two large bedposts and had thrown them toward the door. The victim told police Morris had thrown all of the tables and bed frames in front of the door before the police arrived and knocked. According to police reports, Morris barricaded the hotel door and did not want her to leave.
The victim told police Morris didn’t want anyone to leave or anyone coming in during his rage. When police arrived and forced open the door, Morris fled toward the balcony, according to the victim’s testimony. The officers and hotel staff took everything that was damaged or destroyed in the room and estimated the value at around $5,000. Morris was arrested and charged with assault, malicious destruction of property and resisting arrest. Last week, Morris pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property over $1,000 and was sentenced to 10 days in jail.