This is totally not radical, dude! A surfer ended up in a chokehold after getting stopped by police. They ended up tossing him to the ground on the beach. Authorities say he failed to display a beach access pass on his wetsuit. But he had it attached to his bag, according to a witness.
Authorities restrained 28-year-old Liam Mahoney on Belmar Beach. "Bro, I have a badge!" he said in a video of the incident.
An onlooker shouted at the officers, "His badge is right here!" and "Why are you arresting him?" She also added, "Are you gonna get 10 more cops, and another cop car, to do what?"
However, police ended up putting the surfer in a chokehold and tackling him into the sand. The incident happened in front of several onlookers. One yelled at the authorities to leave the surfer alone. Four police officers then took him to jail.
Surfer Caught In Chokehold
"A local surfer was arrested at Belmar Beach on 19th Avenue for not displaying a beach badge on his wetsuit, despite having the badge attached to his beach bag," witness Austin Downs wrote in a Facebook post . "During the arrest, officers placed him in a choke hold and threw him to the ground."
According to Belmar Police Chief Tina Scott, officers charged him with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. They also charged him a ticket for not having a beach badge. A beach pass is required at some beaches in New Jersey and costs $12. She said they would investigate the incident.
"A thorough review of the circumstances of the arrest will be conducted, in accordance with applicable New Jersey Office of the Attorney General guidelines," Scott said. Meanwhile, the Jersey Shore's Surfrider Foundation called the arrest disturbing.
"Since we do not have any information about the events leading up to the video clip and why the police initially became involved, we cannot comment on the specifics of this individual situation," the group said in a statement. "However, we are monitoring the event and encourage Belmar officials to provide a proper public debrief to provide clarity about the incident and the authorities' response."
