A Falls Township man found out the hard way that Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources law enforcement rangers can arrest people.
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In court papers filed last week, a ranger wrote that he arrested 59-year-old Michael Dittes along the Delaware Canal State Park trail in Falls Township earlier this month.
The ranger was on patrol in his SUV on a mid-November afternoon when he came upon a man blocking the trail with his bicycle. The man was off his bicycle and drinking Bud Ice beer, authorities said.
The ranger informed the 59-year-old man it was against state park rules to drink on the public land, according to court papers.
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According to the ranger, Dittes looked at him and then fled before being intercepted.
“I ain’t doing nothing wrong,” Dittes reportedly said to the ranger.
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The ranger said he asked Dittes for his identification and the man refused and tried to ride away on his bicycle.
After being advised he was being arrested, the 59-year-old man “violently pulled away” and stated: “You’re not the police and you can’t do this,” the ranger reported.
During a struggle, the state law enforcement official said he saw a glass pipe in the 59-year-old man’s pocket.
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The ranger reported he was able to get Dittes off his bicycle and handcuff him.
The 59-year-old man was found to have a glass pipe with char marks and a yellow waxy residue in it. The marks were consistent with smoking methamphetamine, the ranger said.
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Dittes was charged via summons with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, public drunknenness, obstruction of highways, and violation of rules on commonwealth property.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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