OCEAN CITY — A New Market, Md. man was formally charged last week with first-degree assault and other counts after allegedly sucker-punching a bar security staffer.
Back on June 16, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a midtown bar for a reported assault. Upon arrival, officers observed Jeffrey Garrett, 29, of New Market, Md., lying on the ground with bar security staff surrounding him, according to police reports.
Officers detained Garrett and asked him what had happened. Garrett reportedly told police he was asked to leave the bar because of his level of intoxication. He reportedly told police he agreed to leave, but became upset when he was walking out the bar and security staff followed him out. Garrett reportedly admitted turning around and punching someone, but did not know whom he had hit.
An officer interviewed the victim, who had a large amount of blood all over his clothing, according to police reports. The victim’s nose was reportedly crooked with a large amount of blood flowing from it. The victim identified Garrett as the suspect who had punched him in the face, according to police reports.
The victim told police he was following Garrett out of the bar to ensure he left when Garrett turned around and punched him randomly. The victim told officers he had never touched Garrett prior to being punched. Ocean City EMS arrived and transported the victim to Atlantic General Hospital for a possible broken nose.
Officers interviewed another bar security staffer, who advised Garrett was intoxicated and disorderly in the bar and was fighting with patrons. That witness told officers he went to break up the fight when Garrett grabbed him and threw him across the bar.
The witness said Garrett refused to leave the bar and had to be escorted out by security staff. As security staff was escorting Garrett out, the witness confirmed he turned around and punched the victim in the face.
OCPD officers did a follow-up with the victim and learned he was diagnosed with a broken nose in three places and a break in the spinal bone of his nose, according to police reports. The victim was referred to a specialist and told he will need extensive cosmetic surgery to repair the disfigurement of his nose, according to police reports.
Based on the extensive injury to the victim, officers applied for first- and second-degree assault charges along with reckless endangerment and intoxicated endangerment. He was formally charged late last week, nearly a full week after the incident.
