Assault Charges For Stomping Girlfriend

OCEAN CITY – A Seaford, Del., man was charged with first-degree assault last week after allegedly stomping his girlfriend in the head while she laid on the ground during a domestic dispute.

Around 9:30 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a hotel at 25th Street for a reported assault that had already occurred. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim at 25th Street with a large amount of blood on her. Officers observed the victim had a head wound that had been gushing blood, according to police reports.

Officers also observed a large pool of blood on the pavement in the area where they located the victim. Ocean City EMS was dispatched to treat the victim because of the severe laceration, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she had lost consciousness at some point during the altercation and woke up with blood gushing from her head.

OCPD officers met with a witness who had called 911. The witness reportedly told police he heard two people arguing, which caused him to walk in the direction of the disturbance. The witness told police he observed a suspect, later identified as Darrin Deshields, 37, of Seaford, Del., kick the female victim while she was already on the ground and then walk away, according to police reports.

Ocean City EMS arrived on the scene and advised the victim’s injuries were not consistent with her falling down, as she originally told officers. When asked what had happened, the victim reportedly told police she was okay and nobody had assaulted her. When pressed further, the victim told officers her boyfriend, later identified as Deshields, had not assaulted her and maybe it was “some other guy,” according to police reports.

Throughout the interview, the victim’s story about what had occurred had changed. The victim told police that all Deshields wanted was for her to be a “good little girl” and stay in their shared motel room with him, according to police reports, but she did not do that. The victim said prior to her losing consciousness, she and Deshields has been arguing, but she did not remember anything else, according to police reports.

The victim reportedly told police Deshields got mad at her because she left the motel room to call a phone repairman who had not fixed her phone to her satisfaction and that Deshields was angered because she had left the room and was talking to another male.

While officers were interviewing the victim, they observed Deshields walking through the motel parking lot and detained him. The witness was brought over and positively identified Deshields as the suspect, according to police reports.

Deshields was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.