H2Oi: 4 things that happened at this year's unofficial Ocean City event

The Daily Times

Along with droves of car enthusiasts, this year's H2O International car show also brought "unruly" and "appalling" behavior to Ocean City.

The event's organizer officially postponed this year's car show until 2018, but that didn't stop drivers looking to showcase heavily modified Volkswagens and Audis from pouring into the resort town from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

With law enforcement responding to more than 2,700 calls for service throughout the four days, the event has drawn harsh criticism from town leaders and police officials who are looking at ways to deter the behavior in the future.

Here are four things that took place during this year's unofficial and unsanctioned H2Oi weekend:

Patrol car strikes pedestrian

An on-duty Ocean City police officer making a left turn at the intersection of 56th Street and Coastal Highway struck a pedestrian from Connecticut on Sept. 29.

The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. and sent the 26-year-old man to the hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries.

The preliminary investigation indicates the patrol car had a green light, according to police, and the pedestrian was legally in the crosswalk.

Ocean City police spokesperson Lindsay Richard said Monday that an internal investigation is still ongoing to determine whether the accident was preventable.

Arrest captured on video

A video posted to an H2Oi Facebook group of a Friday night arrest shows at least one police officer striking a suspect.

Craig Schultz, 19, of Bellmawr, New Jersey, was arrested on Sept. 29, 2017 in Ocean City and charged with obstructing and hindering, resisting arrest and failure to obey a lawful order.

The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. Sept. 29, according to a statement of probable cause. The man arrested in the video is 19-year-old Craig Schultz of New Jersey, who has been charged with obstructing and hindering, resisting arrest and failure to obey a lawful order.

Charging documents confirm there was a "brief struggle" when Sgt. Shawn Jones and Sgt. Frank Wrench of the Ocean City Police Department took Schultz into custody.

Richard said Monday the police department's internal affairs unit reviewed the video shortly after it appeared on social media and determined the officers' actions fell within training and policy.

Seaford man faces attempted murder charges

Police arrested a Seaford man Saturday night after he hit two law enforcement officers with his car.

When two men in a Chevrolet Malibu spotted law enforcement approaching them, police said they tried to hide what appeared to be marijuana. The two men ignored orders from a Worcester County deputy, and the driver put the car in reverse.

Police said the car struck the deputy first and then an Ocean City officer before fleeing the scene. Both officers were treated and released from the hospital shortly after the incident.

Arkad Espinal was the passenger in a car that hit two police on Sept. 30, 2017.

The passenger, 20-year-old Arkad Espinal of Pennsylvania, was arrested when the car reached a dead end at 41st Street. But police said the driver, Antonio Ambrosino, 18, of Seaford jumped into the Assawoman Bay and was taken into custody by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers.

Antonio Ambrosino is the driver who police say hit two officers in Ocean City on Sept. 30, 2017 while trying to evade arrest.

Ambrosino faces several charges, including two counts each of attempted first- and second-degree murder. Espinal was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to distribute.

State police investigate officer-involved shooting

As Ambrosino struck the two officers and fled the scene, state police said two Ocean City officers fired at the suspects.

The Ocean City Police Department has requested the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit lead the investigation into that shooting.

The 33rd Street Shopping Center where two law enforcement officers were struck by a car on Saturday, Sept. 30 in Ocean City.

Ambrosino's charging documents show the Ocean City officer who was hit by the Chevrolet Malibu fired two rounds and a second officer also fired one round at the vehicle. Police said Espinal and Ambrosino were not injured by the shots.

As part of that investigation, state police said they served a search warrant for the Chevrolet Malibu and discovered a BB pistol, a knife and sheath, a bag of mushrooms suspected to be a controlled dangerous substance, a half pound of suspected marijuana, several clear plastic bags and a notebook filled with suspected drug transactions.

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting remains ongoing, and state police said the findings will be presented to the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office.