Woman charged with assault in Maryland was 9 months pregnant

After the fight on the Ocean City downtown beach ended, one of the many alleged combatants went into labor during her post-fracas incarceration. The 24-year-old woman, who was nine-months pregnant, was taken to a hospital where she gave birth by an emergency Cesarean section. She was later charged by a Maryland court with second-degree assault for her alleged role in the beach fight that resulted in her arrest along with three other individuals.

Police responded to a call at 2:30 p.m. on the third Sunday in July which came from a lifeguard at Ocean City Beach. The lifeguard told the police that he had approached a group of disorderly men on the beach to see what was going on and was threatened by one of them after doing so. When the police arrived, they attempted to question the suspect who allegedly threatened the lifeguard. The 25-year-old man cursed at the officers and tried to walk away.

Things started heating up when the police attempted to arrest the man and the others in the group began yelling at them. According to the police report, things soon escalated into a pushing and shoving match with a large crowd gathering. Additional officers arrived to help quell the disturbance, during which time the pregnant woman was wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.

If she is convicted, the new mother’s charges could have long-term consequences for her. The defense will need to carefully review the many witness statements and the arrest report for discrepancies or inaccuracies. The prosecution will also need to be able to prove that the woman’s alleged actions during the melee and confusion that took place on the Maryland beach all occurred exactly as described in the police report.

Source: Maryland Coast Dispatch, “Woman Faces Charges For Beach Fight Role,” Shawn J. Soper, Aug. 2, 2013