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 police officers for allegedly arresting her and her children while they were performing an investigation, according to a lawsuit filed today in federal court.
Ghost-hunting Chester cop sues neighboring borough
Stephanie Farr
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
I wonder if a big mouth trumped commonsense in this case?— BillyBob369
Who ya gonna call?— CCRichards- I actually have a friend whose house was haunted until the house was struck by lightning. The 3rd floor burned up and the ghost was never heard from again! Pre-Ghost Busters; Honest.— fire fighter
- Funny, Billy Bob, I did not see the charge "Having A Big Mouth" in the story. What section of the crimes code is that? Hope she gets paid.— Philly Born
- She was probably out of uniform. A proper ghost buster would have been in possession of a proton pack and an ecto containment unit at a minimum. Not sure if either Upland or Chester requires permits for the use of a slime blower, but that weapon may have been useful as well.— manyhats
- Fire Fighter, ever consider running for president? Believing in ghosts makes you perfectly qualified to run on the Republican ticket.— Philly Born
- omg manyhats that is too funny.— mwright252
- now thats real news !!!! not like any of that politics slop. victor? the lone rangers nephews horse.....— FBO4ever
- the on-duty cops were probably afraid her idiot sons would cross the streams causing total protonic reversal.— eaglesfillthesky
- So you have permission to be in somebodies house and that is cause to be arrested. NEVER stay at a friend's house alone with their permission. It is obviously a crime!— kingnutter
Always cracks me up when one cop gets screwed by other cops like the rest of us do all the time. Maybe it will make her a better cop now that she knows how it feels to have your rights trampled upon!
