A video of a teenager being tased by Maryland police for vaping on the boardwalk has recently gone viral.
The video, which now has garnered over 2.3 million views, showed the teen with his hands up encircled by at least five officers in Ocean City Saturday night.
Witnesses say the teen clutched his stomach and fell to the ground after being tased when officers ordered him to unhook his backpack.
One witness screamed, “Stop! he was standing there,” clearly upset, while the other witnesses yelled at the officers.
“What’s wrong with you?” one man asks as the officers rushed in to hold back the enraged crowd as the teen is handcuffed and turned onto his stomach.
Y’all did that for no reason,” a woman tells the officers. “He was literally standing there.”
In another video, the footage showed what appeared to be another teen being detained by five officers. The teen is heard yelling, “I’m not resisting! Tell me what you’re arresting me for!”
Another clip showed three officers on top of one of the detained teenagers, while another showed officers taking one away while someone yelled, “Are you f—ing serious?? For no reason…”
One of the witnesses who recorded the incident insisted that the officers “literally HOGTIED him, took his shoes off and took his pants.
According to the Town of Ocean City, four teenagers from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were detained Saturday night.
“Officers approached the group and informed them of the local ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping outside of the designated areas on the Boardwalk,” the town said.
“As the group walked away, officers observed the same male start vaping again,” saying he “refused to provide his proof of identification and became disorderly.”
During the initial arrest of 19-year-old Brian Everett Anderson, the town said, “A large crowd of people began to form around the officers.”
“We are aware of the social media videos circulating regarding this incident,” the town said, revealing that “the uses of force from these arrests will go through a multi-level examination” by police officials as well as professional standards.
However, “Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance.”
Brian Everett Anderson, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct, resist/interfere with arrest, second-degree assault, and failure to provide proof of identity.
The town said Kamere Anthony Day, 19, was arrested for allegedly yelling profanities. He was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing and hindering, failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, resist/interfere with arrest, and second-degree assault.
Also arrested was Jahtique Joseph John Lewis, 18; he was accused of pushing a public safety aide in the chest while yelling profanities and also picking up a police bicycle to hit the aide, then resisting arrest.
He was also charged with disorderly conduct, failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, obstructing & hindering, assault second degree, and interfering with arrest.
Another teen involved was Dwayne Warren, 19, who was arrested for allegedly becoming disorderly when told he had to move from “standing on private property next to two ‘no trespassing signs,’” the town said.
He was charged with trespassing-posted property, resist/interfere with arrest.
According to the town, they were seen by a Maryland District Court commissioner and released on their own recognizance.
Police in Ocean City Maryland tasered a 17-year-old teenager after they accused him of vaping yesterday. https://t.co/PVzagAV5i1
— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) June 13, 2021