LPR Alert Leads to Early Morning Arrest

OCEAN CITY, MD – (November 14, 2018): Shortly before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, Ocean City Emergency Communications received an alert from a license plate reader (LPR) located on eastbound Route 90 for a vehicle registered to a wanted individual driving into Ocean City. A traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle shortly after by an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on Coastal Highway on 94th Street. As the officer was waiting for additional police to arrive for backup, the vehicle fled the traffic stop and drove southbound on Coastal Highway.

The vehicle made a right turn onto 65th Street and collided with a marked OCPD patrol car being driven by a Public Safety Aide. The vehicle continued to flee west on 65th Street, eventually came to a stop in the Ocean City Public Works Complex and attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended by police.

The driver of the vehicle was placed under arrest and identified as Anthony J. Roper, 39, of Delmar, MD. The Public Safety Aide in the patrol car that was struck was transported to Atlantic General Hospital as a precaution. He sustained a minor neck injury. Roper was not injured during the incident.

Roper was wanted for several drugs and weapons charges stemming from Wicomico County, MD. Ocean City Police have charged him with failure to immediately stop at the scene of an accident involving an injury, reckless driving, attempt to elude uniformed police, and multiple other traffic violations. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and transferred to the Worcester County Jail without bond.