A Maryland couple fought with a security officer south of Dewey Beach early Monday morning after the officer told them to not trespass in a private residential development, according to the Delaware State Police.

The 52-year-old commissioned officer, who is assigned to patrol Indian Beach by Resort Investigations and Patrol, was not injured, police said.

Just before 3 a.m., a person called 911 to say the officer was on the ground, fighting with a man and woman near Palmer Avenue, south of Dewey Beach.

Dewey Beach police officers responded to the scene and arrested John Clancy, 21, of Towson, and Julia Price, 21, of Baltimore.

Clancy and Price then were turned over to the Delaware State Police.

Police said Clancy and Price had been walking near Indian Beach when they asked the security officer for a ride to Ocean City, Maryland. The officer told them a taxi would be called.

The couple then began walking toward a residence in an undisclosed private development, police said. In response, the security officer told the couple they would be under arrest if they continued to trespass and that they instead should wait by his patrol car for the cab, police said.

That is when the fight began, according to police.

“At that point, Clancy attempted to push the officer backwards, causing the officer to grab his arm, and when doing so, Clancy kicked the officer's feet out from under him,” the police statement read.

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As the physical struggle went to the ground, Price jumped on top of the officer and tried to grab his gun from his holster, police said.

Clancy and Price were transported to Troop 7 in Lewes where they were charged with attempting to remove a firearm from a law enforcement officer, second-degree conspiracy and offensive touching. Clancy was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $57,500 secured bond. Price was committed to the same jail on $17,200 secured bond.

Contact Karl Baker atkbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.