Use Of Force In Ocean City Reviewed After Vaping Incident: Police

OCEAN CITY, MD — Police in Ocean City say they are reviewing use of force after a crowd of people became disorderly on the Boardwalk over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of several Pennsylvania teens.

All uses of force are examined, according to the Ocean City Police Department's policy.

The incident that occurred Saturday night began when officers informed a large group of people vaping on the Boardwalk near 12th Street that they were in violation of a local ordinance.

The ordinance prohibits smoking and vaping outside designated areas. Violation can lead to a fine up to $500.

After the conversation, which took place around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, police said one man in the group started vaping again as he walked away.

Police said the man refused to show identification and became disorderly, as a large crowd formed around the officers.

After what police described as an "aggressive" and "hostile" crowd, officials said they made the following arrests:

• Brian Everett Anderson, 19, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, resisting/interfering with arrest and failure to provide proof of identity.
• Kamere Anthony Day, 19, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing and hindering, failure to obey reasonable and lawful order, resisting/interfering with arrest and second-degree assault.
• Jahtique Joseph John Lewis, 18, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged with disorderly conduct, failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, obstructing and hindering, second-degree assault and resisting/interfering with arrest.
• Khalil Dwayne Warren, 19, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged with trespassing-posted property and resisting/interfering with arrest.

Initially, police said officers tried to arrest Anderson for failing to provide identification for violation of the local ordinance, and he resisted.

A woman recorded video of one arrest, which showed officers kneeing a teen on the ground who asked why he was being arrested, according to WBAL.

During the arrest, officials said another teen — Day — was yelling profanities and coming up to officers, who put a police bicycle in front of him as a boundary. Day also resisted arrest, officials reported.

Police said a third teen — Lewis — pushed a public safety aide then lifted a police bicycle while swearing and tried to hit the aide with it. Once police got the bike away from him, officials said Lewis assaulted the aide again. As police tried to arrest him, they said Lewis resisted but was ultimately taken into custody.

Officers and public safety aides tried to create a "perimeter to separate the aggressive and hostile crowd and the officers making an arrest," the Ocean City Police Department said in a statement.

While maintaining their perimeter, law enforcement said they saw Warren next to two “no trespassing signs" on private property and ordered him to leave if he was not staying there. He became disorderly, and tried to resist arrest, according to officers.

"We are aware of the social media videos circulating regarding this incident," the Ocean City Police Department said in a statement Sunday. "Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance. All uses of force go through a detailed review process. The uses of force from these arrests will go through a multi-level examination by the assistant patrol commander, the division commander and then by the Office of Professional Standards."