“If someone were to google this officer, his ‘top skills’ would be ‘de-escalation’ and ‘conflict resolution.'”

As if there weren’t enough reasons not to surf in New Jersey in the summer, Added to this is the fact that if you do not present your beach pass within, say, five seconds of being asked to do so, you will be choked and wrestled to the ground by the local police.

In a scene that bore an eerie resemblance to Stalin’s Gulag Archipelago, a surfer in the New Jersey neighborhood of Belmar was choked to the ground by city authorities because he could not produce his “beach badge.”

The surfer can be heard saying, amid the screams of his beloved boo and just before the arm-to-neck hug from Hulk Hogan:

“Here is my badge.”

The surfer appears calm and following orders. What happens next is a maneuver that only Conor McGregor can appreciate. A chokehold from behind with enough force to subdue a Montana bison, who is thrown face-first onto the sand like a beach pole.

Six officers are needed to remove the dangerous surfer.

A short time later, Liam Mahoney, 28, of Junction City, California, is charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice.

A little background on Jersey’s (and New York’s) beach access passes.

From Memorial Day (May 31) to Labor Day (September 2), all non-residents must purchase day passes for beach access. Prices range from ten to thirty dollars. The coastal communities of Jersey and New York thrive on spontaneous visitors during the summer months. Most businesses and communities need to make money during this time, hence the passes and the inflated prices for “non-local” goods.

It’s a 50-degree gray area when you try to cross the threshold to the beach. Technically, municipal law requires you to pay to use the beach. But if you just want to surf, swim, or fish (without an umbrella, cooler, beach chair), you can walk right past the teenage guards with a smile and a wave.

Belmar police were called for some questions and responded with the usual excuse (pun intended): “No comment.”

Locals were quick to respond on Instagram:

@floatywoodboat – You don’t need a badge to surf. It’s illegal to prevent use of the water. Says it right on the New Jersey government website

The public’s right of access to tidal waters and their shores is a concept that developed in Roman law and continues to this day. Public access is a right that is part of the Public Trust Doctrine, and these rights have been defined primarily in the many court cases that have interpreted the Public Trust Doctrine. Recently, in 2019, the legislature passed a Public Access Act, signed by Governor Murphy, that specifically incorporates the public’s right of access of the Public Trust Doctrine into New Jersey law. The Act defines public access as “visual and physical access to and use of tidal waters and adjacent shores, sufficient vertical access from upland areas to tidal waters and adjacent shores, and the necessary supporting facilities to provide public access for all, including but not limited to public parking and restrooms.” NJSA 13:1D-150(1)(f).

And three favorites: @russroe – This cop lost his girlfriend to a surfer this summer. Prove me wrong.

@meeg_verbauskas – if anyone wants to google this problematic cop, his “top skills” listed on LinkedIn are “de-escalation” and “conflict resolution”. What a joke

@alexandra_meehan- Finally he can fulfil his dream of becoming a Djais bouncer. Give this guy his papers.