Cops & Courts – January 7, 2022

Nightclub Security Arrests

OCEAN CITY — One Ocean City nightclub security staffer was arrested last weekend for allegedly shocking a male patron with a stun gun, while a second was arrested for allegedly obstructing and hindering a police investigation of the incident.

Just after midnight last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a nightclub at 17th Street for a reported disorderly conduct incident. The officers met with a male individual who reported his friend had been removed from the bar by security staff for unknown reasons.

The male individual reportedly followed his friend as he was being escorted to the front door and attempted to prevent security staff from removing his friend. The victim reportedly told police he felt someone hit him with a stun gun on the right side of his neck and shocked him.

According to police reports, the victim fell to the ground. He then reportedly left the nightclub to wait for the police to arrive. The victim described the individual who shocked him with the stun gun as a member of the bar’s security staff and provided a description of the bar staffer, according to police reports.

A member of the security staff escorted an OCPD officer through the bar so the officer could talk to each member of the security staff. The officer spoke with a juvenile security staffer, who advised he knew little about the incident, and that he had never left his post near the stage, according to police reports.

The officer asked the juvenile staffer if he had a stun gun, to which the juvenile replied he did, but had not used it, according to police reports. The juvenile reached into his sweatshirt pocket and produced a “Kwik Force” stun gun and handed it to the officer. At that point, the juvenile was arrested for possession of a concealed dangerous weapon and possession of a stun gun.

As the officer walked the juvenile to the patrol car for transport, another member of the security staff, identified as Damond Moore, 21, of Salisbury, began screaming “Get off my boy,” and “He’s only 16,” according to police reports. Moore reportedly walked off the sidewalk toward the arresting officer and he was given multiple orders to stay back. Moore attempted to walk past other officers in order to interfere with the arresting officer’s investigation despite multiple orders to stay back, according to police reports.

The arresting officer reported Moore’s actions prevented him from conducting the investigation out of fear Moore was going to assault him, attempt to free the juvenile, or both. Moore was ultimately arrested for obstructing and hindering. The outcome for the juvenile who allegedly shocked the male patron with the stun gun is not known.

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Replica Handgun Arrest

OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury man was arrested last week for driving without a license and possession of a replica handgun in violation of the town’s weapons ordinance.

Around 12:25 a.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 80th Street allegedly observed a vehicle cross from the travel lane to the bus lane for about three seconds before correcting. The officer observed the driver, later identified as Darryl Hall, 36, of Salisbury, make eye contact with the officer before drifting again into the bus lane for about five or six seconds, according to police reports.

The officer made contact with another OCPD officer who advised Hall had been stopped two hours before and was cited for driving without a license and was given a lawful order not to drive, according to police reports. Based on that information, the officer stopped Hall in a parking lot of a convenience store at 83rd Street.

When the officer approached Hall, he reportedly began talking freely about his earlier stop and produced the citation. He admitted he had been stopped for driving without a license and Ocean City Communications was able to confirm Hall did not have a valid driver’s license, according to police reports. Communications also confirmed the vehicle was registered to another individual from Salisbury, according to police reports.

At that point, Hall was asked to step out of the vehicle and was placed under arrest for driving without a license. While Hall was being handcuffed, OCPD officers located a handgun on the floor on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The weapon turned out to be a replica .357 magnum Smith and Wesson that had the same physical characteristics and weight as an authentic handgun. Hall was arrested and charged with possession of a replica handgun and driving without a license.

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More Weapons Found

OCEAN CITY — An Oxon Hill, Md. man was arrested last week after a variety of weapons were allegedly found in his vehicle.

Around 12:35 a.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of North Division Street allegedly observed a vehicle with a strong odor of marijuana emanating from it in a convenience store parking lot. The officer observed the vehicle was parked directly in front of the door of the convenience store, according to police reports.

The officer reportedly could smell the odor of marijuana from at least 20 feet away and there were no other cars in the parking lot, nor was there anyone else outside smoking. The officer approached and asked the driver, later identified as Raul Urbina, 20, of Oxon Hill, Md., and the other occupants to step out of the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed two spring-assisted knives, one large machete, a small bat similar to a club and a set of make-shift fighting knuckles all concealed within the vehicle, according to police reports. The knives were located in the glove box, the machete was found in a bookbag and the small bat was located under the driver’s seat, according to police reports.

The officer noted in the report all of the weapons were concealed in such a way that they were easily accessible to the driver or any passengers in the vehicle. Urbina was arrested on various weapons charges in violation of the city’s weapons ordinance.

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Prison For Assault

OCEAN CITY — A local woman, arrested in October after first causing a disturbance at an uptown motel and then moving over to a nearby restaurant where she allegedly continued her disruptive behavior, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 40 days in jail.

Around 6:55 p.m. on Oct. 24, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a restaurant at 126th Street for a reported disorderly female. Upon arrival, the officer met with the restaurant’s owner and a female employee at the establishment’s door.

The female employee said a suspect, later identified as Emily Gore, 31, of Ocean City, who was still inside, attempted to hit her, according to police reports. The restaurant owner reportedly showed the OCPD officer where Gore was still seated.

When the officer approached Gore, she exhibited signs of intoxication and became hostile, according to police reports. The officer told Gore the business owner wanted her to leave, but she replied she had been invited there, according to police reports. When she was told again she was being trespassed from the premises, she began demanding a reason why she had to leave, according to police reports.

Gore was reportedly stumbling and yelling near the bar, and stumbled toward a patron, knocking over a bar stool, according to police reports. The initial officer placed a hand on Gore’s shoulder in an attempt to escort her from the restaurant. Another OCPD officer arrived on the scene and Gore was placed under arrest, according to police reports.

Gore reportedly resisted being placed in handcuffs and pulled her hands away, despite commands from police to stop resisting. OCPD officers were ultimately able to place Gore in handcuffs, but she continued to yell throughout the arrest process. Meanwhile, numerous guests stopped eating to watch the disturbance Gore was causing in the restaurant, according to police reports.

Gore reportedly flailed her body and continued to yell while she was being escorted from the building. At one point, she spat in the face of one of the transport vehicle officers, according to police reports. OCPD officers interviewed the bar employee, who informed police she had cut Gore off from any more alcohol. The employee reportedly told police Gore unsuccessfully attempted to smack her, which is when the police were called.

A short time later, OCPD officers on the scene learned Gore continued to be uncooperative at the booking facility. According to police reports, earlier in the evening around 5:40 p.m., the same OCPD officers was dispatched to a nearby hotel at 126th Street and observed Gore on the floor in the lobby.

A front desk employee told the officer Gore had asked to charge a phone in the lobby, then became disorderly and threatened to hit the front desk employee, according to police reports. Gore was given an indefinite trespass warning by the employee and the OCPD officer escorted her from the hotel premises. The officer observed Gore walk into the restaurant nearby where the second incident allegedly occurred.

All in all, Gore threatened to assault one individual, attempted to assault another, and successfully assaulted two OCPD employees. She was charged with multiple counts of second-degree assault. Last week, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and was sentenced to 40 days in jail.

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Probation For Assault

OCEAN CITY — A Wilmington, Del. man, arrested on assault charges after starting a fight with another man in the downtown area, pleaded guilty last week and was placed on probation for one year.

Around 12:25 a.m. on Oct. 17, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a reported fight in progress near a closed business on South Baltimore Avenue. When officers arrived, the located a suspect later identified as Jonathan Stephenson, 31, of Wilmington, Del., on the ground with another man standing over him.

The other man was reportedly telling Stephenson to calm down and that he didn’t want to fight. There were numerous bystanders in the area who told officers Stephenson had been acting crazy and trying to pick fights,

Stephenson was ultimately arrested and charged with second-degree assault. Last week, he pleaded guilty to that charge and was placed on probation for one year.