Philly woman in viral Wildwood beach arrest takes plea deal, gets probation

In frames taken from a video posted on Twitter by Alexis Hewitt, a Wildwood police officer is seen throwing a punch at the head of a Philadelphia woman on the beach.
Alexis Hewitt/Twitter

After nearly nine months, the story of the Philadelphia woman whose Memorial Day arrest on the Wildwood beach went viral has reached its end.

Emily Weinman, of Kensington, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a plea deal with Cape May County prosecutors Friday, according to the Associated PressWeinman will serve a year of probation, and will be barred from Wildwood and its beaches while on probation.


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Weinman was offered a plea deal in July, but decided to reject it. In September, Weinman was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses. She pleaded not guilty in November.

The May 26 incident began when Weinman and another person were approached by police officers for allegedly possessing alcohol on the beach, per police body cam footage that was later released by Wildwood police:

Weinman passed a breathalyzer and said the alcohol belonged to her aunt. She refused to give the police officers her name, and one officer said he’d arrest her if she didn’t. 

When she walked away, an officer was heard saying, “Alright, you’re going to get dropped.” Weinman appeared to push the officer, and then was taken to the ground. One of the officers threw punches toward her head.


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Police later claimed Weinman struck one of the cops and spat at one before they attempted to arrest her. Both officers were cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation by Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland.

“One situation doesn't define someone,” Weinman said during a Good Morning America segment in June. "I'm not a bad person. I'm not this person that they're out here trying to make me seem like.”


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