43-year-old William Tatman, of Lincoln, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
A Lincoln man is behind bars after police say he stole a car and led them on a chase through Rehoboth.
According to the Delaware State Police Department, the incident occurred around 5:10 p.m., Saturday as troopers responded to the 20,000 block of Coastal Highway in Rehoboth for a theft in progress.
A white male suspect was spotted going through vehicles on the property and was confronted by a witness, according to police. The suspect then fled towards the Loft apartments across the highway and located a 2006 Infiniti M35 running in the rear of the apartment complex.
Police say the suspect then entered the vehicle belonging to a 21-year-old male victim. As the first trooper arrived on scene, he reportedly witnessed the victim being dragged as he was attempting to open the driver side door to stop the suspect from driving away.
The trooper activated his emergency lights and sirens and tried to stop the suspect, but he fled in the stolen vehicle. A pursuit ensued onto westbound Lewes-Georgetown Highway where the suspect allegedly tried to strike a trooper who was in the process of deploying stop sticks.
The pursuit continued to the area of Route 30 and Reynolds Pond Road where a trooper successfully deployed stop sticks disabling the stolen car. The suspect, identified as 43-year-old William Tatman, was taken into custody without further incident.
Tatman has been charged with Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)- 2 counts, Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony)- 2 counts, Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony), Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Felony), Theft Under $1,500- 3 counts, Resisting Arrest, and Numerous Traffic Violations. He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $146,353.00 cash bond.
(Left to Right) : Joshua Daniels, 25, of Lincoln, DE – Malik Rothwell, 24, of Ellendale, DE – Delaware State Police Dept.
Two men were arrested after police say they attacked two people early Christmas morning outside the Big Chill Surf Cantina in Rehoboth.
According to Delaware State Police, the incident occurred around 1 a.m., Saturday, December 25 as troopers were dispatched to the Big Chill Surf Cantina on Coastal Highway for reports of a fight in progress.
Police say initial reports indicated that two individuals were struck in the face with a pistol and one suspect fired a weapon.
The suspects reportedly fled the scene in a red Mitsubishi Outback SUV before troopers arrived, according to police.
As a trooper was traveling southbound on Coastal Highway, the suspect’s vehicle was spotted turning onto Coastal Highway as they left the parking lot of the Big Chill Surf Cantina. Troopers initiated a traffic stop and a strong odor of marijuana was detected.
As trooper’s approached the vehicle, the front seat passenger, 25-year-old Joshua Daniels, of Lincoln, exited the vehicle. When police tried to take him into custody, he tried to flee and reportedly resisted arrest.
Daniels was taken into custody and searched, at which time police say they located a 9mm bullet.
At the same time, the rear passenger, 24-year-old Malik Rothwell, of Ellendale, exited the vehicle and was unsuccessful in trying to flee the scene, according to police. He was apprehended and placed under arrest.
Once the suspects were in custody, a search of the vehicle was conducted and police located a Ruger EC9S 9mm semiautomatic handgun with 8 9mm rounds in the gun’s magazine, approximately 6.02 grams of marijuana, a Colt Detective Special .38 special revolver containing 5 loaded .38 special rounds, a .38 special casing, and 0.077 grams of Heroin.
Police launched an immediate investigation which they say discovered that a 23-year-old female and 23-year-old male were leaving the Big Chill Surf Cantina when they were confronted by Daniels and Rothwell. An argument ensued, which resulted in Daniels striking the male victim in the head with a closed fist multiple times.
As the female victim tried to break up the fight, Daniels began physically assaulting the female before Daniels and Rothwell brandished firearms, at which point police say they pointed it at them and threatened to kill them, according to police.
Daniels then allegedly struck the victims in the face with the handgun. During the fight, police say Rothwell pointed a gun in the air and fired one round before the suspects fled the scene in the red SUV, which police later stopped.
Daniels was charged with three counts- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony), two counts- Assault Second Degree (Felony), two counts- Aggravated Menacing (Felony), Conspiracy First Degree (Felony), Terroristic Threatening, Resisting Arrest, and Possession of Marijuana- Civil Violation. He was arraigned and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $84,100 secured bond.
Rothwell was charged with three counts- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony), two counts- Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony), two counts- Aggravated Menacing (Felony), Conspiracy First Degree (Felony), Terroristic Threatening, Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on a $107,200 secured bond.
Delaware State Police are continuing their investigation into a shooting in Rehoboth Beach and are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect allegedly involved.
According to Delaware State Police, the incident occurred around 12 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 21 as troopers responded to The Pond Bar and Grill on Coastal Highway for reports of people fighting in the parking lot.
Within two minutes, Sussex County Emergency Operations Center (9-1-1) updated the responding troopers that shots were fired.
When police arrived they learned one male victim had been shot during the commotion, but had already left the area in a privately owned vehicle and traveled to Beebe Medical Center for a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his leg. No other victims were located, according to police.
A search of the crime scene was conducted and 32 shell casings were located in the parking lot. Two vehicles were struck as well as the front window of the bar, according to police. It was later determined that a round struck a second floor room in the Comfort Inn next door.
Later that morning, around 12:24 a.m., police say another call was received by the Emergency Operations Center advising there were shots fired at the Wawa on Wolfe Neck Road in Rehoboth. In this incident, there were no reported victims of the gunfire and several empty shell casings were located outside the business in the parking lot.
Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects involved are urged to contact police.
Delaware State Police are on the scene of a serious motor vehicle crash in Rehoboth.
According to State Police, the crash occurred at approximately 8:58 a.m. this morning on John J Williams Hwy (SR24) in the area of Mulberry Knoll Rd.
As a result of the crash, SR24 between Plantations Road and Mulberry Knoll Rd is closed with emergency response vehicles on scene. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes of travel.
The road closure is anticipated to be lengthy with no estimated time for a re-opening.
