Surfer at Jersey Shore forcibly arrested after allegedly not having beach tag

Police in Belmar, New Jersey, arrested a surfer on Tuesday for charges of disorderly conduct stemming from an incident where he allegedly did not have a beach tag.

A two-minute video circulating on social media shows 28-year-old Liam Mahoney, a surfer visiting from Junction City, California, confronted by police before they tackle him to the ground.

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Mahoney, wearing a wetsuit, was seen being physically held by officers. He and a woman are arguing with police, saying that he had a beach badge, or beach tag, on his bag. A beach badge is required for accessing Belmar beaches from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Less than a minute into the video, the two officers holding Mahoney become aggressive, with one putting his arm around Mahoney’s neck in a chokehold. They then tackle him to the ground.

(Warning: The video below contains profanity.)

Surfer in Belmar, New Jersey Arrested for Not Displaying Beach Badge on Wetsuit
byu/tillthenextlife insurfing

Additional bystanders gathered around the scene, verbally accosting the officers and shouting at them to get off of Mahoney.

“They don’t know what the **** they’re doing,” one bystander is heard saying in the video.

“I have a ****ing badge,” Mahoney shouts at the police while he is on the ground.

Belmar Police said on Facebook that Mahoney was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, along with being issued a borough ordinance for requiring a beach badge.

“A thorough review of the circumstances of the arrest will be conducted, in accordance with applicable New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG) guidelines,” the statement from Belmar Police read.

In the comments of the Facebook post, reactions were largely negative, accusing police of excessive force while calling for deescalation training and accountability against the police officers involved.