Ocean City police use of force questioned as video apparently shows suspect being punched
When Ocean City Police officers approached 34-year-old Denzel Elam-Ruff on Thursday, July 6, for vaping on the Boardwalk, what followed was an incident that was filmed for evidence of possible police brutality.
When police ordered Ruff to stop as vaping is banned, he continued to use his device, at which time a number of officers detained him, the incident escalated, and they brought him to the ground. In a video taken of the incident and posted to YouTube by a Ruff family member, one of the officers is seen striking Ruff once officers were on top of him.
Following the incident, Ruff was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting/interfering with an arrest, second degree assault and failure to provide proof of identification, which are all misdemeanors.
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"Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance. All uses of force go through a detailed review process. In this instance, the use of force will go through a multi-level examination by the Assistant Patrol Commander, the Division Commander and then by the Office of Professional Standards. This is an active investigation," the Ocean City Police Department stated in a statement on the incident.
Past incidents with police on Ocean City Boardwalk
The Washington, D.C. native was not the first individual to be detained by such means by Ocean City police.
In 2021, two black teenagers were detained for vaping, leading to a violent arrest. A lawsuit was threatened over the use of such force, but was never filed.
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"We want to make sure everyone gets fair treatment, and we need to know what triggered (officers) to handle it in this way," said the Rev. James Jones, convener for the Caucus of African American Leaders on the Eastern Shore. "We feel this didn't constitute the roughness police used with this gentleman. Our goal is to reach out to the Ocean City mayor, City Council and police department to explain cause for this situation."
Jones added that vaping ban violations are misdemeanor offenses and noted they are requesting data tracking how many minority and nonminority individuals are stopped by police.
"We only see this type of treatment happening to people of color and enough is enough," Jones said.
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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City police filmed in questionable use of force in vaping arrest
