OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) — Gov. Larry Hogan is among the Maryland officials who are concerned about a viral video that shows the arrest of four Black teens in Ocean City over the weekend.
During a press conference Tuesday, Hogan called the video “disturbing,” but said he wants to see the initial results of the investigation before saying more.
“It was a disturbing video,” he said. “I watched it yesterday as soon as it kind of was hitting the atmosphere. We reached out, had conversations with both the mayor of Ocean City and our State Police have reached out to Ocean City Police. We’re just anxious to get the initial investigation conducted, so we can have all the facts before making any further statements about it.”
On Ocean City arrests—Gov Hogan calls videos disturbing; he says he’s reached out to the mayor; Maryland State Police have reached out; he wants to see results of an initial investigation into what happened. @wjz
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 15, 2021
Ocean City Police said around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, a group of officers noticed a group of teenagers vaping and informed them of the local ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping outside of the designated areas on the boardwalk. Police said the group did not comply and became disorderly.
The force with which police responded is drawing outrage from Maryland’s top officials.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot called the incident “deeply disturbing.”
“We must have zero tolerance for police misconduct,” Franchot said. “I strongly urge the Att. General to begin an immediate investigation. There must be swift and strong consequences for any and all misconduct.”
“Based upon this video and another I have seen, I am deeply concerned about this incident,” Attorney General Brian Frosh tweeted. “I have shared that concern with the appropriate law enforcement agencies.”
Earlier this month, on June 6, another video posted to Twitter showed Ocean City Police tasing an 18-year-old also accused of vaping. Police said they used their tasers after the teenager threatened to kill them.
Both the Maryland ACLU and the NAACP Maryland State Conference issued statements Monday about the incident over the weekend. They are demanding a thorough investigation into the incident and also asking that the officers be removed from their posts until the completion of the investigation.”
“Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance. All uses of force go through a detailed review process,” Ocean City Police said in part in a statement to WJZ.
The OCPD also said that the use of force from these arrests will go through a multi-level examination and will be reviewed by the Office of Professional Standards.
Nineteen-year-old Brian Anderson, 18-year-old Kamere Day, 18-year-old Jahtique Joseph John Lewis and 19-year-old Khalil Dwayne Warren, all of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged with a number of violations as a result of the incident.
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