Boater Arrested for Disorderly Conduct and OWI

Annapolis, MD (August 18, 2010) – On August 17, 2010 at 7:49 pm, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) arrested Nicholas Shawn Basle, age 20 from Ocean City, Md and charged him with disorderly conduct, operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, underage possession of alcohol and littering on the waters of the state.

NRP Officers were called to a canal off of Bayshore Dr. in Ocean City for a complaint of disorderly boaters throwing beer cans and yelling profanities to people along the canal. NRP Officers arrived and located Basle who was on shore, agitated and cursing at Ocean City Police Officers.

NRP Officers learned that Basle was operating a vessel and throwing beer cans onto vessels that were docked along the canal. Then, Basle exited his vessel and began yelling profanities at people along the canal. Basle was accompanied by two other individuals who fled the scene before police arrived.

NRP Officers administer field sobriety tests to Basle, which Basle failed. Basle was arrested and taken before taken before the Ocean City Commissioner where he was released on his own recognizance.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov