OCEAN CITY — A local man is being held without bond on first-degree assault charges this week after allegedly stabbing a juvenile during a fight on the Boardwalk last weekend.
Around 11 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the Boardwalk in the area of Wicomico Street for a reported stabbing. The victim, a 17-year-old juvenile, was transported to Atlantic General Hospital. OCPD officers arrived first on the scene and detained three individuals involved in the fight, which led to the stabbing.
OCPD officers had obtained a cell phone video of the assault and portions of the alleged assault had been captured on the City Watch surveillance system. One of the individuals detained was David Lee Sykes, 43, of Ocean City, who OCPD officers were familiar with from prior incidents, according to police reports.
The cell phone video reportedly showed Sykes and two of his associates fighting with three other unknown males including the juvenile victim.
According to police reports, all the involved individuals were punching and kicking each other and numerous combatants fell to the ground. The cell phone video reportedly showed the juvenile victim attempt to kick one of the identified males still being detained after the fight.
According to the cell phone video, Sykes swung his hand in a lashing motion and struck the juvenile victim numerous times. According to police reports, the juvenile victim was able to strike Sykes, who fell backward onto the ground where he landed in between one of the other combatant’s legs.
On the video, OCPD officers observed a shiny, skinny object similar to a knife in Sykes’ right hand that appears to have struck the other man in the lower right leg. An OCPD officer responded to AGH to check on the juvenile victim and learned the victim had suffered deep lacerations and required numerous staples to stop the bleeding and close the wounds. The juvenile victim’s injuries included a laceration to the right shoulder and arm area, a laceration to the left leg in the groin area, a laceration to the inner thigh area on the right leg and a deep laceration on the left arm.
Officers interviewed the man who was reportedly seen receiving a laceration on his leg when Sykes fell with the knife. The combatant’s right foot and shoe were covered in dried blood and he had a bandage above the foot. The victim told officers he was having an argument with Sykes when the juvenile victim punched him in the face, according to police reports.
The fight continued with four or five members of the other group punching two men in Sykes’ group, while Sykes was attempting to hold everyone back, according to police reports. The victim told officers he was unsure of how he received the injury to his leg and did not notice it until his foot felt wet. The stab wound was in the same area where Sykes fell between the victim’s leg and appeared to accidentally stab him, according to police reports.
The OCPD then interviewed Sykes, who explained he was having an argument with one of the men in his group when the other group approached them and started a fight. OCPD officers explained to Sykes they had observed him in the video with what appeared to be a knife, according to police reports. When asked where the knife was, Sykes reportedly told officers it was in a trash can.
Sykes reportedly explained the individuals in the other group were “jumping” his group and explained he had the knife for work purposes. Sykes told officers when he saw the other group coming at him, he used the knife to defend himself and his friends, according to police reports. He also explained he did not see members in the other group with any weapons, but there were more individuals in the other group than his small group of friends. He also told police he did not pull the knife out until he saw his friends on the ground.
The City Watch surveillance footage revealed a similar version of what was shown on the cell phone video. Sykes and his two friends were arguing when they were approached by the other group, including the juvenile victim who was stabbed. Sykes’ two friends were fighting with two members of the other group, including the juvenile victim, in the City Watch surveillance.
Sykes reportedly approached the four men fighting and removed a knife from his pocket. According to police reports, Sykes was holding the knife out and waiving it around while the fighting paused. The fight went out of view of the City Watch camera, but the remainder, including Sykes allegedly slashing the victim was captured on the cell phone video.
Sykes was charged with first- and second-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment. Following a bail review hearing on Monday, he was ordered to be held without bond.
