Drinking Alcohol in Public Leads to Arrest and Additional Charges for Port Republic Man

January 17, 2019
Langford Sylvester Dyson, 59 of Port Republic

Langford Sylvester Dyson, 59 of Port Republic

On January 4, 2019 at approximately 12:25 p.m., Deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Unit responded to Safeway in Prince Frederick for the report of a male standing outside consuming an alcoholic beverage in public.

The male, later identified as Langford Sylvester Dyson, 59 of Port Republic, was described as a black male wearing a dark jacket. Dyson was observed by officers drinking from a bottle in a brown bag.

When Dyson saw officers, he tucked the bottle in the brown bag in and zipped his jacket pocket. Since ABD Liquors was about 500 feet away, officers believed that Dyson was drinking an alcoholic beverage. The officers mad contact with Dyson and could smell a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath.

When asked by police, Dyson removed a brown bag containing half a bottle of gin from his pocket. Dyson was adamant that he had not consumed any alcohol, even after the officer told him that police had seen him drink from the contents of the brown paper bag.

Dyson was issued a criminal citation for alcohol consumption in public, released from the scene, and the gin poured out. To confirm that Dyson had bought the alcohol from ABD Liquors, officers contacted the management.

While speaking with management, Dyson entered ABD Liquors, walked up to the counter, and bought the same bottle of gin that officers had just confiscated.

The officers requested video footage of Dyson in the store earlier. Dyson followed the officers to the entrance of the back room and began recording deputies with his cell phone. The officers were made aware of Dyson’s actions and directed him to leave the store. After the second command to leave, Dyson started walking towards the front of the store.

Dyson was told not to stop and was instructed to leave the premises. Dyson was standing only a short distance from ABD Liquors and began recording video with his cell phone again. Dyson was again told to leave, and he failed to comply with police commands.

The officer moved towards Dyson and grabbed his wrist to initiate an arrest. Dyson immediately began to pull away. While holding onto Dyson, the officer used his radio to call for additional police units. The officer then used a leg sweep to take Dyson down to the ground. Dyson continued to try to move his hands from behind his back and was held on the ground until additional units arrived.

Dyson was arrested and charged with trespass private property, resist/interfere arrest, disorderly conduct, consume alcoholic beverage in public, and failure to obey reasonable/lawful order.

Dyson was released a short while later on his own recognizance and is due in district court on March 8, 2019.

Langford Sylvester Dyson, 59 of Port Republic

Langford Sylvester Dyson, 59 of Port Republic