OCEAN CITY — A Dundalk, Md. woman was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly knocking her boyfriend out with a lamp.
Around 2:00 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a residence on St. Louis Avenue for a reported 911 hang-up. Ocean City Communications advised the caller was female, but they could hear a male named “Mike” screaming for help.
Officers noted they had been at the same residence around 7:10 p.m. for a report of separated parties. At that time, officers arrived and located Mandy Morris, 45, of Dundalk, Md., crying in a chair on the front porch of the residence, according to police reports. Morris reportedly told police she was upset because she had lost her boyfriend while out drinking and returned to the unit, but could not enter because her boyfriend had the keys.
Morris told police just before their arrival, her boyfriend had been brought home by strangers. Both Morris and her boyfriend exhibited signs of intoxication at that point, according to police reports. OCPD officers made a report of that interaction and cleared the scene.
Around 2:20 a.m., OCPD officers returned to the same residence for the aborted 911 call. Upon entering the unit, officers observed chards of ceramic and blood splatter patterns.
Officers also observed a male lying on his right side and he was bleeding profusely from the back of his head and nose, according to police reports. The victim’s eyes were reportedly closed, his arm was twitching, and he was unresponsive, according to police reports.
Officers determined the victim was unconscious and called for EMS. While officers were rendering aid to the victim, Morris reportedly said unprovoked, “He tried to choke me with the lamp cord, so I hit him in the head with the lamp,” and, “I kept hitting him while he was laying there.” Officers observed the cord and base of the broken and bloodied lamp next to the victim’s head. The victim eventually woke up, according to police reports.
OCPD officer attempted to interview the victim, but due to his alleged level of intoxication and his recent head trauma, he was unable to recall many details. He merely said, “I came into the room and she beat me up,” according to police reports. OCPD officers noted in the report the injuries to the victim’s hands and forearm could be indicative of defense wounds as he attempted to shield his face from the lamp, according to police reports.
Based on the evidence and testimony, Morris was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault.
