Alabama’s Point Mallard disturbance ends in multiple arrests
Decatur AL June 8 2022 A weekend disturbance at Alabama’s Point Mallard led to an officer’s police radio being thrown into the water and the arrests of five people.
There has been an ongoing issue at the water park with boaters pulling up to the dock in the beach area, said Decatur police spokeswoman Irene Cardenas-Martinez. Parkgoers have complained about intoxicated boaters using foul language, smoking marijuana, drinking and throwing beer bottles and cans on the beach area.
Those issues, Cardenas-Martinez said, have continued into this season, with incidents taking place multiple times in May, and then again last weekend.
On Saturday, May 14, employees of Point Mallard called Decatur police to report 10 boats and 30 people out of their boats on the beach, drinking and smoking marijuana. Officers responded and the people left.
On Wednesday, May 18, Point Mallard employees called police again about two boats with approximately 10 people out on the beach. Employees had asked the individuals to leave the beach.
The people left and then returned. Employees again requested them to leave.
They became confrontational and told the employees they were not leaving, and the employees couldn’t make them do anything, telling the employees to call the police. Point Mallard employees called police. Officers arrived and requested the people leave the area. They complied.
On Saturday, May 28, boaters returned to the beach area and were asked by employees to get back from the beach numerous times. Police officers who were working the area responded, requested the boats to leave the area and they complied.
On Sunday, June 5, 2022, at about 1:30 p.m., officers working the water park were informed by employees some boaters had returned and were drinking, smoking marijuana, playing loud, profane music, using profanity and throwing beer bottles and cans on the beach, Cardenas-Martinez said.
Responding officers did not witness any criminal activity at that time and requested the boaters move away from the beach. They complied.
Later, at about 5:30 p.m., managers of the water park received complaints from patrons of the park that the boaters were back on the beach, drinking, smoking marijuana, cussing and playing loud, obscene music to the point that the patrons were about to leave the park and never return. One of the patrons witnessed sexual acts being performed by two women on the boat facing toward the park.
Officers could hear the loud, profane music all the way to the dressing room area of the park from a boat that was backed up to the beach area, Cardenas-Martinez said. They responded to the beach area, finding several intoxicated people with open containers of alcoholic beverages on the beach, in the water and on the boats that were tied together approximately 10 yards offshore. They did not see sexual acts taking place.
Because of the loud music, officers had a difficult time making contact with the owner of the boat playing the music. The officers were met with obscenities by numerous individuals.
The music was then turned down and shortly afterwards was turned up again. While attempting to arrest the boat owner, the officer was pushed from behind and splashed in the face by another person. The boat owner was taken into custody.
The person who pushed and splashed the officer then swam away into deeper water to prevent being taken into custody. He got onto a boat and began taunting the officers in front of the large crowd, adding to the situation and exciting the crowd to become more disorderly, Cardenas-Martinez said.
The officer removed his vest and portable radio with the intentions of apprehending that person. Another individual standing on the beach took the officer’s portable radio and threw it into the water.
The officer didn’t see the radio being thrown when he was approached by the person, who began cursing at him.
That person was arrested for public intoxication, and is also facing charged of criminal mischief for damage to the police radio.
The officer then noticed a female on the beach who was yelling at the Point Mallard staff while holding an open beer. When he attempted to take her into custody for having an open container, the officer was grabbed by two other females in order to prevent her arrest. Pepper gas was sprayed on the females, one was taken into custody, while the others got away.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department’s boat unit responded to a request for assistance. They located the boat occupied by the person who had shoved and taunted the officer earlier. The boat was escorted by sheriff’s deputies to the Decatur Boat Harbor, where the male was taken into custody on the dock.
Katherine Cornelison of Decatur, Bradley Wilhite of Hartselle, and Joshua Holcomb of Waterloo were charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest. Holcomb was also charged with disorderly conduct.
Two others were also charged with public intoxication.
More arrests are anticipated as the offenders are identified, Cardenas-Martinez said.
Authorities said they want to remind the public that the waters near and around Point Mallard are within Decatur’s city limits. All state laws and municipal ordinances that are in effect on land are enforceable by the Decatur Police Department on all waterways that are within the city limits.
Those laws include: Open Container of Alcoholic Beverages, Public Intoxication, Violation of Sound Ordinance, Disorderly Conduct, Public Lewdness, and Indecent Exposure.
The Point Mallard staff and the Decatur Police Department are working together to prevent similar illegal activity in the future, Cardenas-Martinez said.
