A troubling video has surfaced online after a man was arrested in Maryland for vaping on the banned boardwalk
The vaping community has been shaken to its core countless times as its witnessed strip searches, beatings and bathrooms no longer privatised – all in the name of the ‘crackdown on vaping’.
It seems those protecting the ‘land of the free ’have once again violated a civilian as a violent arrest video has surfaced online, after the unpermitted use of a vape.
This disturbing clip reveals the force undertaken by armed officers when arresting a black man, caught vaping on Ocean City’s famous boardwalk.
On July 5th, 34-year-old golf coach Denzel Elam Ruff was approached by police and told to stop vaping. According to their reports, their orders were refused.
The law was passed in 2015 prohibiting both vaping and smoking on the beach and surrounding areas in Maryland, meaning the police have the authority to hold people accountable for puffing.
However, the confrontational clip shows three officers handcuffing the vaper using brute force and violently throwing and pinning him to the ground.
One officer upped the ante and punched Denzel Ruff whilst he lay helplessly on the ground, outnumbered as bystanders watched in horror.
The Ocean City Police Department released a statement that said:
“Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance…all uses of force go through a detailed review process.”
It’s not the first time the city’s officers have blown a vaping disturbance out of proportion since the ban was actioned.
This incident took place two years after several black teenagers also fell victim at the hands of police officers when found vaping on the boardwalk.
One of the young men was violently tackled to the ground and repeatedly kneed in the ribs and abdomen by the police – but the abuse didn’t stop there.
The most disturbing part of the ordeal was when one man was shot with a taser – while attempting to comply by removing his backpack – and fell straight to the ground. Similar to the most recent event, videos were shared online, causing outrage by the police’s methods of arresting young vapers.
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