A Baltimore County police officer has been suspended with pay after he was arrested early Friday and charged with second-degree assault after getting into a fight at a city sports bar and losing his service weapon, authorities said Friday. A copy of the city police incident report, obtained today, offers a slightly different account.
According to county police, the officer arrived about 2 a.m. at Carlos O'Charlie's Sports Bar in the 3500 block of Eastern Ave. when he began arguing with another man. The two men went outside the bar and began fighting, police said. A copy of the incident report shows that the victim said the officer ran up to him and began hitting him. He said the fight was unprovoked and that he wanted to press charges.
At some point, the officer's gun came out of its holster and fell on the ground, according to Cpl. Mike Hill, a county police spokesman. Hill said an unidentified man picked up the gun and left the scene. According to the incident report, however, the officer said he "dropped the gun," indicating that he had pulled the weapon. A witness to the fight also called The Baltimore Sun to say that McClarin had pulled the gun and dropped it as others tried to restrain him.
City police were called and had to use pepper spray to subdue the officer, according to Hill and the police report.
County police would not identify the officer, but city police identified him as Parrish McClarin, 25, of Towson, pictured at right. He does not show up in the Maryland Case Search database as an arresting officer in any cases, despite six years with the Baltimore County Police Department. I'm trying to figure out how that's possible and if his name may be misspelled in these documents. McClarin shows up as the arresting officer in more than 50 cases since 2005.
Records show McClarin was released on $7,500 bail.