Delaware State Trooper Indicted for Allegedly Assaulting 15-Year-Old in Ding Dong Ditch Prank

A Delaware State Police trooper has been indicted following an investigation into his alleged assault of a 15-year-old boy who had engaged in a “ding dong ditch” prank near the trooper’s residence last month.

In a joint announcement on Tuesday, the Delaware Department of Justice and Delaware State Police revealed that felony charges have been filed against 29-year-old Dempsey R. Walters, an officer with nearly seven years of service. Walters remains suspended without pay or benefits, although he has not been terminated.

Authorities disclosed that the incident took place while Walters was on duty. During the assault, he reportedly deactivated his body camera; however, a feature in the device continued to record video without audio.

Officials released Walters’ body-cam footage, which captures him approaching the back of a Delaware State Police SUV, where the handcuffed teenager was being held. In the video, another trooper steps aside as Walters strikes the boy in the face.

Walters then circumvents the SUV, returning to the location where the teenager is detained and shines a light on him, prompting the teen to turn and face the inside of the vehicle. Walters activates his body camera, restoring audio to the recording.

“You sure about that?” Walters is heard saying.

“Please tell me what I did? Please tell me what I did?” pleads the boy.

Walters has been charged with second-degree assault, a felony; deprivation of civil rights, a felony; two counts of third-degree assault, misdemeanors; and two counts of official misconduct, also misdemeanors.

Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings expressed her sentiments on the matter, stating, “As a mother and grandmother, the footage in this case is hard to watch. As a prosecutor, the constitutional violations are stunning.”

Colonel Melissa Zebley, head of the Delaware State Police, offered an apology to the victims of Walters’ actions, including one individual who was not involved in the prank, and affirmed the agency’s acknowledgment of the gravity of the situation. Zebley stated, “We assure you all that we are taking every possible step to prevent such things from happening in the future.”

Here’s what transpired involving the teens:

Walters was off duty on August 17 when he encountered a 17-year-old near the entrance to his Elsmere, Delaware neighborhood, believing the teen was engaged in suspicious activity. This encounter escalated into a verbal altercation, court documents reveal. Subsequently, Walters contacted the Elsmere police, who picked up the teenager and transported him to his home in the nearby Lancaster Village development.

Although the 17-year-old was not charged, the indictment notes that the following day, Walters accessed the state’s law enforcement database to retrieve information about the teenager’s address and background.

On August 21, a 15-year-old boy and his friends were involved in “ding dong ditch” pranks in Elsmere, knocking on doors and running away. Around 8:30 p.m., the 15-year-old accidentally kicked Walters’ door, startling the trooper’s girlfriend, who promptly contacted Walters, then on duty.

Walters proceeded towards his residence, requesting assistance from Delaware State Police troopers and other law enforcement agencies, reporting the incident as an attempted home invasion. This prompted the deployment of the state police helicopter and multiple K-9 units.

While at his residence, Walters reportedly spoke with a witness who informed him that several juveniles had run past him in the direction of the street where the 17-year-old boy from the prior incident lived.

At gunpoint, Walters and another officer from Newport visited the 17-year-old’s residence, where they removed the teenagers from the house. Importantly, the 17-year-old and his friend were not involved in the ding-dong ditch prank.

During the encounter, the teens were forced to the ground, with one of them audibly requesting assistance and calling for his mother. Subsequently, they were held in hot police cars for several hours before their release. The mother of the 17-year-old was informed that it had been a “misunderstanding.”

According to the indictment, Walters then left the scene, handcuffed the 17-year-old, and proceeded to the location where another trooper had detained the 15-year-old and his friends. The 15-year-old was handcuffed and lying face-down on the ground when Walters arrived.

Walters allegedly struck the 15-year-old in the back of the neck and head with his knee, according to the indictment. Despite the boy’s hands being cuffed behind him, Walters purportedly turned off his body camera, approached the police vehicle, and struck the boy’s face twice, resulting in an orbital fracture.

This indictment against Walters adds to a series of legal issues involving Delaware law enforcement officers. It raises concerns about potential policy violations and highlights the importance of maintaining police conduct standards in the state.