OCEAN CITY – A local man was arrested on first-degree assault and other charges last weekend after allegedly threatening another man with a knife at a downtown residence.
Around 9:30 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on Caroline Street for a reported disorderly individual. While responding, Ocean City Communications advised the caller said he wanted another individual to leave the residence and that he had a knife, according to police reports.
Ocean City Communications advised the caller claimed he had a knife and asked if he could stab the other individual, according to police reports. The officer arrived on scene and reportedly heard a lot of screaming and loud banging coming from an entrance to a stairwell.
The officer reportedly observed a male victim running down the stairwell. Uncertain of the situation and knowing there was a knife involved, the officer drew his handgun and ordered the victim to drop what was in his hand, according to police reports. The victim had a cell phone in his hand and complied with the officer’s order to drop it, according to police reports.
While the officer was standing on a landing of the staircase, a second male, later identified as Yonatan Yoseph, 33, of Ocean City, came running down with a knife in his hand. According to police reports, Yoseph was pointing the knife toward the officer with the blade exposed.
Yoseph was screaming something undiscernible at the officer, who ordered him multiple times to drop the knife. Yoseph eventually dropped the knife and complied with the officer’s order to lay on the ground, according to police reports. Yoseph was reportedly within feet of the officer before dropping the knife and complying with orders to get on the ground.
The officer interviewed the victim, who advised he and Yoseph had been out drinking at a bar, and when they returned to their residence, Yoseph ordered the victim to leave the residence. The victim reportedly told police Yoseph threatened to beat him up if he did not leave, and the victim attempted to leave the residence before any more confrontation, according to police reports. That is when Yoseph pulled out the knife, according to police reports.
Yoseph was extremely uncooperative when OCPD officers were attempting to take him into custody, according to police reports. While awaiting a transport vehicle, Yoseph reportedly told officers “When I get out of jail, I’m going to [expletive deleted] kill him.” During booking, Yoseph reportedly spit saliva from his mouth directly in the face of a custody officer. He was charged with multiple counts of first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
