OCEAN CITY, Md. - A K-9 team with the Ocean City Police Department helped track down and arrest a man following an early morning assault and burglary investigation, according to police.
Officers were called around 1:19 a.m. March 27 near 83rd Street for reports of a "disorderly man". When they arrived, officers found signs that a physical fight had taken place both inside and outside a home.
Police said the man and the victim knew each other and had been inside the residence together when the fight began. The man was told to leave but later went back inside without permission, where another fight happened before he ran away as officers arrived, according to police.
Police First Class Bartrom and K-9 Mackenzie responded and began tracking using an item left behind. The dog followed the scent from the 8700 block of Coastal Highway onto the beach and through several blocks and parking areas before leading officers back near the original location. Officers then found the man inside a parked car nearby. Ernest Joseph Leatherbury III, 30, of Berlin, was taken into custody without further issues.
Leatherbury is charged with:
- Third-degree burglary
- Fourth-degree burglary
- Second-degree assault
He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and is being held without bond at the Worcester County Jail.
Police highlighted the work of K-9 Mackenzie, who is the department’s first bloodhound and first female K-9. Mackenzie was donated by Public Safety Dogs, Inc. as part of a new bloodhound program.
“This incident is a great example of the strong teamwork between our patrol officers and K-9 unit. The coordination, communication, and professionalism displayed by all involved led to a swift and safe resolution," said Chief Raymond J. Austin. "We are especially proud of PFC Bartrom and K-9 Mackenzie, whose tracking ability played a critical role in locating the suspect.”