Ghost-hunting Chester cop sues neighboring borough

A Chester police officer who moonlights as a "semi-professional paranormal investigator" has sued Upland Borough and two of its cops for allegedly arresting her and her children while they were performing an investigation, according to a lawsuit filed today in federal court.

Diane Briscoe and her sons, Jonathan and Alton, were hired in Sept. 2010 by Debra Riggs-Robinson to conduct a paranormal investigation at her house on Second Street in Upland, the suit said.

Briscoe, who has been a Chester cop for more than 20 years, alleges that she and her children were ghost hunting in the property when Upland cops busted in to the house without a search warrant and handcuffed her and her sons at gunpoint.

The homeowner was not present at the time, but Briscoe claims she told police she had permission to be in the house, showed them a key, gave them the owner's phone number and told them she was a cop. She alleges police did not call the homeowner to verify her claims.

Briscoe and her sons were charged with trespass and disorderly conduct, charges that were later dismissed at the district court level. She is suing the officers and Upland Borough for false arrest, assault and related charges.

What Briscoe doesn't mention in her lawsuit is that at the time of her investigation, the house had been found uninhabitable by Upland officials because of a recent fire, according to a Jan. 2011 story in the Delaware County Daily Times.

Upland officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

Briscoe's suit was first reported by the Courthouse News Service website