Man Arrested For Punching Police Horse Outside Cowboy Coast Saloon In Ocean City, Maryland; 2 Others Also Arrested In Incident
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- A 21-year-old New York man was arrested for punching an Ocean City, Maryland, police horse while officers were trying to make an arrest early Sunday morning.
Police responded to Cowboy Coast Saloon in the 1700 block of Philadelphia Avenue just before 1:30 a.m. for a reported fight. The mounted unit was assisting with an arrest when two people began to hurl insults at one of the mounted police officers and another physically assaulted the police horse, Tucker.
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According to Ocean City Police, while police were making one arrest, a large crowd came out of the bar and two men began fighting each other. While trying to control the crowd, two men began to curse at arresting officers. One of the men struck the horse.
Daniel Martinez Rivera, of Yonkers, was trying to talk to the arrestees when police told him to back away.
The officer asked Rivera to back off and police said that triggered an "aggressive" reaction from Rivera. The officer put Tucker in between the crowd and Rivera and the suspect initially pushed Tucker away. The officer told him not to touch Tucker, and that's when Rivera allegedly stuck the horse three times, at least once in the eye.
Another officer in the area reportedly saw Tucker shake his head in a way that showed he had been struck, moving his head back and forth.
When officers tried to arrest Rivera, he attempted to flee. He was arrested shortly after.
Another 21-year-old Yonkers, New York, man, Jordan Ethan Flores Joseph, was also arrested for disturbing the peace after he continually screamed "F*ck 12" and hurled insults at the mounted unit while his acquaintances were arrested.
A 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Abigail Kenly, was also arrested outside the dance club for repeatedly touching another mounted police horse after police asked her to stop.