Standoff In West Ocean City Ends Peacefully

March 04, 2011
Written By: News Editor, Shawn J. Soper

WEST OCEAN CITY -- A West Ocean City man was charged with assault, false imprisonment and other charges this week after a nearly two-hour standoff at his home on Wednesday resulted in one of the largest mobilizations of local law enforcement and emergency services manpower and equipment in recent memory.

Around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported domestic assault in progress on Blue Marlin Drive in West Ocean City. The initial investigation revealed the suspect, identified as Jasun V. Weistling, 37, of Ocean City, had been involved in a domestic altercation involving family members including his children and was highly intoxicated and possibly under the influence of prescription medication, according to police reports.

When deputies arrived, Weistling had fled from the home to the second floor of his detached two-car garage where he kept an office. According to sources, Weistling was self-employed as a day trader on the stock exchange from his home office. The perimeter was quickly secured and the victims of the assault were extracted from the home.

Over the next two-plus hours, Weistling remained in the garage office as the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office, continued to deploy massive amounts of manpower and equipment to the scene. SWAT teams in full regalia mobilized along with the Bomb Squad and its robot. Marked and unmarked police cars along with emergency services vehicles lined both sides of the otherwise peaceful street on both sides and in both directions as concerned neighbors looked on from a safe distance.

It was uncertain at the scene if Weistling was armed, or the extent of his arsenal, but Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Colonel Doug Dods confirmed yesterday the suspect was believed to be armed and potentially dangerous.

“When we got a hold of him, he wasn’t armed,” he said. “Family members told us he had a shotgun and a handgun in the garage office, so that raised a whole lot of concerns.”

Multiple attempts to establish communications with Weistling were made by law enforcement officials to no avail. At one point, the suspect’s father implored his son to come out peacefully over a loudspeaker, but the standoff continued. At another point, the Bomb Squad robot was deployed and officers on the scene called for a boom camera, presumably to gain visual access to the interior of the garage.

Finally, around 7:21 p.m., Worcester County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to take Weistling into custody without further incident. He was transported to PRMC in Salisbury for evaluation. He was later charged with two counts of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment and alcohol intoxication endangerment. Weistling made an initial appearance in District Court yesterday morning and was ordered held on a $50,000 bond.

Dods said the incident had a fairly successful outcome despite concerns for Weistling, and more importantly, the family members involved.

“We’re hoping he gets the help he obviously needs, but he has to answer for his actions,” he said.

Source; mdcoastdispatch.com

Former Baltimore News Personality Arrested Second Time In Four Days

Former television news personality Dennis Edwards is being held in the Baltimore city jail after police arrested him a second time in four days in connection with a domestic violence case involving his wife, according to court documents.

A District Court judge on Monday set bail at $500,000 and scheduled a hearing for Feb. 2. The 54-year-old is charged with violating a protective order, telephone misuse, harassment and malicious destruction of property.

Police first arrested Edwards on Wednesday, Dec. 29, and charged him with assaulting his wife in their home on South Road. The woman told police that Edwards shoved her down and banged her head on the floor. He posted $20,000 bail and was released pending trial.

In an interview after his first arrest, Edwards called the incident an "unfortunate situation" and called the police account inaccurate. "It's not what it appears," he said then. "It's not accurate, nor is it true."

Court records shows that Edwards was arrested the second time on Jan. 1 by Baltimore Police Officer Brent R. Fleming. Further details were not immediately available.

Edwards served as a reporter for WJZ-TV from 1994 to Jan. 2009 and for two months as a spokesman for Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young.

www.baltimoresun.com

Domestic Assult Leads To Police Shooting

OCEAN CITY, Md.- Police have released the names of the couple involved in the domestic dispute that led to an officer-involved shooting Monday morning.

Ocean City Police officers responded to a 911 call for a domestic dispute at 11:07 am Monday. When officers arrived at the apartment on 82^nd Street, a man with a knife was attacking a woman, according to police.

Police say the suspect would not drop his weapon. One officer then shot the man.

The suspect is identified as Marvin Jefferson Mitchell, 27, of Berlin, Maryland. The female is Mitchell's estranged wife, Shanna Mitchell, 25, also of Berlin, Maryland.

Police say the couple's two children were inside the apartment during the stabbing and officer-involved shooting.

The police officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending review of the incident.

Both the suspect and victim received care by the Ocean City Fire Department Paramedics before being transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. They are both hospitalized and in stable condition.

Shanna Mitchell had obtained an active Protective Order against her husband.

Marvin Mitchell has been charged by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation with nine charges, including 1st Degree Attempted Murder, Reckless Endangerment and Violation of a Protective Order.

www.wboc.com

Iran's President Ahmadinejad Wants U.S. Leaders 'Buried' For Threats

Iranian President and notorious firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unleashed his latest round of insults at the U.S. on Sunday, calling for American leaders to be "buried” for what he claims are threats of violence against Tehran's nuclear program.

"May the undertaker bury you, your table and your body, which has soiled the world," Ahmadinejad said, according to The Associated Press, an unusually harsh statement even for the controversy-loving leader.

Adm. Mike Mulllen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in August the use of force against Iran remains a possibility.

"I think the military options have been on the table and remain on the table," he said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." "It's one of the options that the President has…I hope we don't get to that, but it's an important option and it's one that's well understood."

President Obama has also pledged to take a hard line against Iran if the country does not comply with its non-proliferation treaty obligations.

"The United States and the international community seek a resolution to our differences with Iran, and the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it," Obama said last month in an address to the UN General Assembly. "But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment, and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear program."

Ahmadinejad also took the opportunity on Sunday to once again express doubts about the facts behind the September 11th attacks.

"We have hundreds of unanswered questions about the September 11 incident to which they should respond, and we will not back down on this," he said, in the speech broadcast by state television and English-language Press TV.

"If they claim 3,000 people were killed on September 11, [the perpetrators] should be identified and executed," he added. "We will even help in their arrest provided they present evidence, but will not accept whatever Bush and Obama say."

Ahmadinejad has made similar remarks in the past, most recently at the U.N. last month in which he argued "some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack."

That speech caused the U.S. delegation to walk out of the room in protest, and was immediately decried by Obama.

"For him to make a statement like that was inexcusable," the President told the BBC.

Husband Arrested In Venus Stewart Murder Case

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WAVY) - A Michigan woman's estranged husband has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.

A prosecutor in St. Joseph's County, Michigan announced Wednesday, Douglas Stewart is charged with murder and conspiracy. Douglas, who has ties to Newport News, was arrested and taken into custody Tuesday night.

His estranged wife Venus vanished from her parents' home near Kalamazoo, Mich., on April 26. At that time, Doug told police he was at his home in Newport News. Someone was in Newport News making transactions on his accounts, so the alibi appeared to be legitimate.

In May, police in Michigan and Newport News asked the public for information about anyone who might have impersonated Doug Stewart.

St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney John McDonough said investigators spoke with a man Tuesday who admitted to portraying Doug in Newport News. McDonough said the co-conspirator had been "extremely cooperative."

Authorities are not releasing many details about the man, such as his age, hometown, or relationship to Douglas Stewart; however, WAVY.com has learned he is not from Hampton Roads.

A relative told WAVY sister station WOOD TV that Stewart met the co-conspirator through an online video game. As of Wednesday night, the man had not been charged with a crime.

McDonough said Stewart and the impersonator started planning in early April. According to McDonough, evidence and interviews with several people including the co-conspirator, lead him to believe Venus is dead.

McDonough said he believes Stewart abducted, killed, and disposed of his wife's body, then went back to Newport News, met up with his look-alike, and exchanged clothes.

Dustin Jasper, Venus's brother, said after so many weeks of hoping she would be found alive, the latest developments are tough on the family.

"I just feel so bad that all this had to come this way... it's just terrible," he said.

In a report from WOOD TV , Colleen Roussey said: "[Doug] was such a controller."

Roussey, a friend of Venus' parents continued, "I just knew he killed her. He had to have killed her. We're all just -- we're calling each other and crying. It is so horrible for all of us, because we've all been working so hard to bring that girl home. And that didn't happen."

McDonough explained prosecuting the case may be more difficult without a body, but he said there is strong evidence. He added though that finding Venus is a "number one priority."

Stewart is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail on $4 million bond.