OCEAN CITY – Resort police are working through use of force protocols in response to allegations of brutality during last week’s arrest following a Boardwalk vaping infraction.
Cell phone videos posted online over the weekend show a police officer clearly punch a suspect while police held him down following a physical encounter with the Maryland man who was vaping on the Boardwalk.
The incident stems from July 6 around 12:43 a.m. when an Ocean City police officer and two public safety aides on foot patrol on the Boardwalk were asked by Denzel Elam Ruff, 34, of Lexington Park, Md., about the city’s smoking ordinance. Police advised Ruff of the city law and possible fines for smoking violators.
The statement of probable cause document filed in the District Court of Maryland states, “Ruff stated, ‘Who’s going to pay that? Not me.’ Ruff continued to walk southbound on the Boardwalk towards Dorchester Street, where he looked back at us and intentionally smoked his vape, raising his hands in the air at us.”
When police attempted to stop Ruff to issue him a citation, the Maryland man ignored orders and attempted to elude police multiple times. Ruff was then informed he was going to be detained, but he would not comply with attempts to administer handcuffs, according to the statement of probable cause report. Ruff was taken to the ground in further attempts to put handcuffs on him.
Nice to see the popo cracking down on crime! Lmao!
What you mean is, where cops investigate cops and will say, we find no wrong doing, blah blah blah
Back the blue until it happens to you!!!
It appears Mr. Ruff was provoking the police officers. He knew what he was doing and now has the attention he wanted hoping for a winning lottery ticket. It’s this kind of trash that has ruined Ocean City.
Exactly !
Your Correct….I was one of the Spectators on the Balcony watching this.
Ruff was very violent to include his FAT OLE WHITE GURL.who was throwing punches at cops too.
O.C.P.D. did a great Job !!!
Com’on man, denzel elam ruff is a “professional golf caddy” give him a break please.
That guy absolutely deserved a beatdown.
Follow Police orders or the Hammer is coming down !!! LOL LOL
it’s not that hard to comply. the vaping was worse than the beat down.
5:12 – Agreed. If he would have simply complied, he would have had a warning and walked away. Instead he was fishing for this exact situation so he can have some attention and try and get a settlement. One beatdown for 1MM. Sick world we live in.
6:19 – You are right on this – Notice how fast it was mentioned that both of his parents are attorneys. He did this on purpose to see if he could get a settlement and the NAACP starts yelling police brutality. Give me a break – he’s looking for a hand out.
If it were me, I would have given him a little zapidy Zap and been done with it.