OCEAN CITY — A Rockville, Md. man faces first degree assault charges this week after allegedly threatening two groups of people with a knife at a downtown apartment complex and sexually assaulting one woman.
Around 12:30 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a residence on Dorchester Street where Swopnil Chhetri, 24, of Rockville, had been threatening to kill people with a knife. The officer detained Chhetri, but a search of his person did not reveal a knife or other weapons. The officer spoke to two witnesses who reported they were sitting on the back porch of the residence when Chhetri came out onto the porch holding a knife over his head and reportedly saying, “I will kill you.”
The two victims were able to run inside their room and lock themselves in. Meanwhile, another OCPD officer had arrived on the scene and interviewed two other female witnesses who told police Chhetri had approached them with a knife and then sexually assaulted one of them.
Chhetri allegedly walked closer to the two female victims holding the knife at roughly belly-button height and pointed it at them saying “show me,” according to police reports. At that point, Chhetri allegedly grabbed one of the female victim’s left breast while still pointing the knife at her with his right hand.
The victim was able to briefly push Chhetri away, but he again grabbed her, this time by the buttocks, as he held the knife to her and attempted to usher her into the apartment. According to police reports, the victim described Chettri’s actions as if he was attempting to welcome her into his apartment while he was holding a knife in her direction.
The incident ended when police arrived. OCPD officers gained access to Chettri’s apartment and found three different knives in the kitchen. The officers brought the female victim into the kitchen to determine if any of the knives matched the one Chhetri had brandished during the assault and she identified a large kitchen knife with a black handle.
Next, OCPD officers brought one of the male victims who had been threatened by Chhetri to identify if any of the knives in the kitchen were used by the suspect and the male victim identified the same knife. Based on the evidence and testimony, Chhetri was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree assault, four counts of second-degree assault, third-degree sex offense and fourth-degree sex offense.
