On Saturday night, a Coast Guard crew called for assistance from Oak Bluffs police to help arrest Douglas Dexter of Edgartown, a contractor and charter boat captain, after he threatened the Coasties with bodily harm and said he had firearms on board his boat, which was stuck off of Hart Haven.
Sea Tow, a commercial tow boat company, initially responded to Mr. Dexter’s call for assistance when his boat propellor became fouled. When Mr. Dexter became belligerent, the Coast Guard was called, according to the police report.
“Due to there only being four members on the United States Coast Guard boat, they asked us for assistance,” Officer Timothy Millerick said in his report.
The Coast Guard crew picked up Officers Millerick and Damien Harris and brought them to the stranded vessel. Mr. Dexter was “in his smaller boat that he attached to the bigger boat with the engine running and he was attempting to tow his bigger boat to Edgartown Harbor,” according to the lengthy police report.
After he was handcuffed aboard the Coast Guard boat, Mr. Dexter continued to threaten bodily harm to both coast guard and police officers, and then blacked out. “Dexter then awoke and started yelling at the members again telling them that he would kick their ass, and that he didn’t care what happens to him as long as his dog’s alright,” Office Millerick said.
After arrival in Edgartown Harbor, Mr. Dexter failed five field sobriety tests and registered a .14 blood alcohol content on a breathalyzer test. The report states he remained uncooperative during the booking process. He was charged with boating under the influence and disorderly conduct.
In a telephone call to Oak Bluffs police on Sunday night, he maintained that the Secret Service had sabotaged his boat. On Monday, Mr. Dexter arrived intoxicated at Edgartown District Court for his arraignment, police said. He was taken into protective custody by court officers and released later that day. That same evening he was arrested by Edgartown Police for disorderly conduct.
He is being held at Dukes County Jail on $10,000 bail.