A St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputy is suspended from duty and an internal investigation is underway after citizens complained the deputy unnecessarily beat on a man while making an off-duty arrest.

Shane Weasenforth, 25, of St. James, was riding an ATV on the shoulder of Route 235 shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, not far from his residence, when off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy David Goff stopped and approached him.

In the end, Weasenforth was arrested for second-degree assault and resisting arrest by other uniformed officers that arrived on the scene.

Weasenforth and his girlfriend, who tells The Bay Net she was driving a vehicle with her eyes on her boyfriend when the incident occurred, say the deputy was intoxicated and began shouting at first contact.

With Weasenforth on his stomach and hands behind his back, the deputy struck the back of his head several times for no reason, witness Crystal Currie tells The Bay Net. Currie says she then screamed and the officer stopped being aggressive.

Currie estimates a total of five other officers arrived on the scene before it was all over, and she asked officers to administer an alcohol breath test on Dep Goff, but none responded.

“If we have these kind of people as our law enforcement, we might as well not have any. I am very frustrated that this happened and I want action to be taken,” Currie said.

“I have never seen anything like this except in movies and there should be a zero tolerance for on or off duty police officer’s under the influence,” Currie said. “I would hope that Tim Cameron would not allow a fellow officer to be employed, in regards to this incident.”

On Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office released a statement on the issue, stating:

“ … While continuing the investigation, several allegations were made against the off-deputy whom affected the arrest. Sheriff’s Office supervisory personnel immediately began to investigate the complaints made against the off-duty deputy.
During the initial investigation, information was uncovered regarding the conduct of the off-duty deputy. Investigators from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Professional Responsibilities (Internal Affairs) were contacted and responded to assume the investigation.
The off-duty deputy has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation in accordance with Maryland Law. The investigation is ongoing and being coordinated with the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.”

The off-duty deputy’s name was not released.

Sheriff Tim Cameron told The Bay Net that the all the allegations are being considered and the matter will be dealt with strict accordance to law. Two investigations, an administrative and a criminal, are underway.

Cameron would not comment on the specific allegations made, but said a alcohol breath test was administered to the officer shortly after the arrest. Those results have not been released.

If criminal charges are warranted, “that will be made public,” Cameron said.

The release says Weasenforth was arrested and charged with assaulting an off-duty deputy sheriff based on the preliminary information available at the time of the incident.

He was processed and released by the District Court Commissioner on charges of assault and resisting arrest.