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OCEAN Ciy, Maryland – Videos of Ocean City police officers kneeling one black teenage boy and heaping another on this beach community’s boardwalk in separate clashes that started over vaping are drawing criticism over the use of force by the department in such cases.
On June 6, police attempted to arrest a teenager for vaping, police said in a statement. When he pulled away from an officer by grabbing him in a “bear hug” and began threatening to kill them, an officer used a Taser, the prosecution documents said.
Video of the encounter shows the teenager with his hands raised, but as a hand falls towards his backpack, an officer shoots a Taser and he falls to the ground. Other videos show the teenager being carried away by police with his hands and feet tied. Court documents indicate the 18-year-old from Perryville is black.
Video from another standoff at Boardwalk on Saturday shows another black teenager held by multiple officers as one officer repeatedly knocks him to his knees as a dozen officers and public safety officers hold a crowd in anger. A teenager is taken into custody after lifting one of the many police bikes circling the cops and another is Tased as he struggles with the cops.
This confrontation began after officers approached a large group of people vaping to tell them it was forbidden, then returned when they saw one member of the group start vaping again, police said. in a press release. The teenager refused to provide identification and police said he had become disorderly and resisted as officers attempted to arrest him.
Online court records show the four 18 and 19-year-olds from Harrisburg, Pa., Are black. No lawyer is listed for them in the court records.
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill retweeted video of the June 6 incident and called on Attorney General Brian Frosh to investigate. Frosh replied that he was “deeply concerned” about the incident based on this and another video he had seen and that he had shared his concern with law enforcement.
In a tweet apparently referring to the June 6 incident, House Speaker Adrienne Jones called the video “deeply disturbing” and called on Ocean City officials to make consideration of the incident a priority. priority, dismiss the charges and retrain officers on the use of force.
“Vaping on the promenade is not a criminal offense,” she said. “Black and brown children shouldn’t be heaped up with their hands up. Officers should not kneel on the back of a minor. Vaping shouldn’t make a pig tie.
Police said in the press release that “officers are allowed to use force, depending on their training, to overcome resistance.” In a statement on Monday, Ocean City Police said they understood the public’s concern over the video of Saturday’s incident and that it was under review.
“Although the use of force is never the desired result, the first priority of our police service is to protect and serve,” police said. “They don’t target based on race or age. They only focus on the safety of our residents and visitors by enforcing the law and disseminating situations as quickly as possible while maintaining control of the environment.
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