Officers injured, police horse struck in Dewey Beach brawl
Two officers were injured and a police horse was struck when a brawl broke out in Dewey Beach May 27 that resulted in four arrests.
Dewey Beach Police responded to a report of disorderly people near Dagsworthy Avenue on Route 1. When they arrived, officers saw Taevon Potts, 22, of Milford, pushing others and yelling. Police tried to take him into custody, but he resisted arrest and threatened officers. A disorderly and aggressive crowd of about 30 people soon surrounded officers.
The crowd refused police commands to disperse, and more fights broke out. Officers from Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, the Rehoboth Beach Police and Delaware State Police arrived to assist.
As the crowd began to disperse, Sherelle L. Evans, 32, of Milford drove her car toward police and struck two DATE agents with her car despite commands to stop.
While agents were assisting the officers, another DATE agent struck the car’s windshield, and the car stopped. DATE officers received minor injuries; one refused treatment and the other was treated and released from Beebe Healthcare.
Dewey Beach Police charged Gavin Coco, 23, of Arlington, Va., with offensive touching of a law enforcement officer when he struck a Delaware State Police Mounted Patrol Unit horse; the horse was uninjured. Coco received a summons and was released pending a future court date.
Dewey Beach Police charged Potts with rioting and resisting arrest. He was committed to the Department of Correction in lieu of $1,500 secured bond.
DATE charged Evans with two counts of vehicular assault third degree and one count of disorderly conduct. She was released on a $1,250 unsecured bond.
DATE also charged Major Foster, 19, of Lincoln, with underage consumption, misrepresentation of a license, and disorderly conduct. He received a summons and was released.
Dewey Mayor T.J. Redefer said the town will not tolerate bad behavior from visitors.
“If you come to Dewey Beach to cause trouble and break the law ,you will be arrested,” he said. “Dewey Beach is ready and we will act swiftly to protect life and property.”
Delaware State Police Master Cpl. Melissa Jaffe said the Mounted Patrol Unit has assisted Dewey Beach Police with holiday weekend crowd control for several years.
Redefer was glad to have extra state and local police support.
“Two officers were injured protecting our town and we all hope their injuries heal quickly without complications,” he said. “This incident was dispersed in a matter of minutes and could have been much worse without our heroes stepping in and taking action.”
