WASHINGTON — Two police officers in Maryland are recovering from injuries after a man crashed his car into them during a marijuana-related arrest in Ocean City, the state police department said.
Antonio Ambrosino, an 18-year-old from Delaware, rammed his vehicle into officers who were on the scene Saturday night, Maryland State Police said in a news release.
“That kind of action could have resulted in the deaths of multiple police officers,” said police spokesperson Greg Shipley. “Certainly there was just no need for any of this.”
Ambrosino was arrested and charged with numerous counts including assault and attempted murder.
A passenger in his car, 20-year-old Arkad Espinal, of Pennsylvania, was also arrested and faces drug charges.
“We are continuing to investigate,” Shipley said.
Investigators said the incident began when a deputy with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office went to check on a suspicious vehicle in a shopping center parking lot.
The deputy, along with a few police officers from Ocean City, walked over to the car and saw that two men inside were putting marijuana in bags, indicating they were going to sell it, officials say.
When the driver, Ambrosino, saw the officers, authorities say he started his car and crashed into them.
The deputy was hit, as was an officer with the Ocean City Police Department.
“The force of that impact threw the officer over the hood, the windshield and onto the roof of the car,” Shipley said. “The officer then landed on the hood of a car that was parked nearby.”
Two officers, including the one who was hit, fired their guns at the driver during the incident. Neither of the men in the car was hit.
Both injured officers were taken to a hospital, treated and released.
“Fortunately their injuries were not too serious,” Shipley said.
