DENTON, MD. — Two police officers in Caroline County are currently serving suspensions after an altercation that occurred last year in the town of Denton, all of which was captured on video. The officers, identified as Corporal Mayo and Corporal Snyder, were each suspended for five days without pay and have additionally lost five days of their leave.
The incident, which took place on S Fourth Street in Denton, began with a dispute over an above-ground pool situated in front of an apartment and escalated quickly, leading to a viral video capturing the confrontation. In the video, a man can be seen punching a front door, prompting the individuals inside the apartment to request the officers, who were standing nearby, to intervene and arrest the man.
According to Denton Police Chief George Bacorn, the dispute stemmed from a landlord-neighbor-tenant disagreement regarding the placement of the pool. "It was a landlord-neighbor-tenant dispute over a swimming pool, and the landlord wanted the pool moved. The folks that had the pool didn't want the pool moved. Basically that part got settled. An acquaintance of the landlord arrived on scene and caused a commotion over this pool," stated Chief Bacorn.
Following the incident, an anonymous complaint was filed with Caroline County's Police Accountability Board, leading to deliberation by the Administrative Charging Committee (ACC). Subsequently, the committee found both officers in violation, citing concerns over their judgment and tactics employed during the altercation.
"It basically came down to my officers' judgment on how they were going to handle this, and they elected not to use force and try to de-escalate it, but their tactics did not work, and that caused me some concerns," Chief Bacorn explained.
As a result of the investigation, both officers faced numerous violations, including neglect of duty and unsatisfactory work performance. Corporal Mayo was further demoted to patrolman first class.
While Chief Bacorn acknowledges the ruling, he emphasizes that nobody was injured during the incident, and the man involved in punching the door, Christopher Morgan, was promptly arrested and charged with second-degree assault. Morgan pleaded guilty and received three years of probation without any jail time.
