Franklindale chief, assistant chief guilty of disorderly conduct

TOWANDA - Franklindale Fire Chief Donald Stranger Sr., who was found guilty of the summary offense of disorderly conduct on Friday, had shoved his hand up in a state police corporal's face "like he was going to hit" the corporal and had refused to obey police commands at the scene of a fire, according to police testimony.

36-year-old Dale Douglas Stranger, who is the assistant chief of the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, pleaded guilty in Towanda District Court Friday to disorderly conduct as a third-degree misdemeanor. Under a plea agreement, the Commonwealth withdrew a lesser charge - the summary offense of disorderly conduct - that had been filed against Dale Stranger.

At a hearing Friday on Donald Stranger's disorderly conduct charge, which was held in Towanda District Court, State Police Cpl. Roger Stipcak testified that he went to the home of Dale Stranger in Monroe Township on the afternoon of Jan. 31 because the chief of the Monroe Hose Company "requested the state police for unruly individuals at the scene of a fire."

After arriving on scene, a Monroe Hose Company fire official at the scene said the Monroe Hose Company "had been having problems with the owner of the house that was on fire," Stipcak testified.

"We spoke to (Dale) Stranger and got him calmed down and removed from the scene," Stipcak said.

Donald Stranger is Dale Stranger's father. Dale Stranger's house was destroyed in the fire.

Because the fire took place in Powell, which is the jurisdiction of the Monroe Hose Company, Monroe Hose Company Fire Chief Paul Bump was in charge of the firefighting operations. However, Franklindale firefighter Daniel Vanderpool testified that the Franklindale fire company - which is formally named the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company - was assisting at the scene.

Stipcak testified that when he saw 61-year-old Donald Stranger and his wife approaching a live electrical wire on the ground, he "yelled at them to get away from the wire."

"They didn't listen" and continued to walk in the vicinity of the wire, Stipcak said.

"I (then) yelled for them to get off the scene," Stipcak said.

"He (Donald Stranger) wanted to know who was in charge," Stipcak said. "I said it was me. He said I was not in charge ... He said it was Lou Altieri (the commander of the state police barracks in Towanda)."

At one point, Donald Stranger "threw his hand up in front of my face," Stipcak testified.

Stipcak said he pushed Donald Stranger's hand aside, "stepped back and pulled out my Taser."

It was a "volatile situation," the Stipcak said. "Someone yelled that he (Donald Stranger) has a pacemaker and a defibrillator."

Stipcak said he then put his Taser back in his holster and that he and a state trooper arrested Donald Stranger.

Stipcak testified that he told Donald Stranger at the scene that he was arresting him "for shoving your hand up in my face like you were going to hit me."

But Donald Stranger said he extended his hand because he was pointing at his son.

"I was pointing to my son, to where my son was standing," Donald Stranger testified.

In a citation filed in Towanda District Court, the state police at Towanda said they charged Donald Stranger with disorderly conduct because he failed to comply multiple times with the state police's commands "regarding safety" at the fire scene.

Under cross-examination by the district attorney, Vanderpool acknowledged that after Stipcak told Donald Stranger "to get out of there (away from the scene)," Donald Stranger did not leave the scene but instead asked Stipcak for his name and badge number.

While Stipcak testified that Donald Stranger was not wearing an "official cap" that showed him to be a firefighter or fire chief, Donald Stranger and Vanderpool testified that Donald Stranger was wearing a cap that said "fire chief" on it.

However, District Attorney Daniel Barrett said in his closing arguments that Donald Stranger was "not acting as a fire chief and wasn't directing anything" at the fire scene. "He wasn't trying to participate in fire control efforts."

Stipcak and Donald Stranger both testified that Donald Stranger was wearing a Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt at the fire scene.

Stipcak said that while there were only three members of the Pennsylvania State Police initially at the scene, "we requested backup due to the mob mentality" and that the rest of the state police from the Towanda state police barracks that were on duty at the time arrived at the scene, along with police from the Towanda Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Laporte.

When asked by the district attorney if the incident at the fire had deprived the rest of the Bradford County with state police coverage, Stipcak replied, "Yes."

State police have said that Dale Stranger was not satisfied with the way the Monroe Hose Company was fighting the fire and was interfering with members of the Monroe Hose Company as they worked at the fire scene.

Towanda Magisterial District Judge Timothy Clark, who found Donald Stranger guilty of the summary offense of disorderly conduct, sentenced him to pay $189, which includes a fine and court costs.

Dale Stranger was sentenced by Clark to pay a fine and court costs, which together total up to $258.50.

Donald Stranger, who lives in Monroeton, said he will appeal his conviction to the Court of Common Pleas of Bradford County.

The district attorney said he hoped that the people who were at the fire scene "will look at this and learn to be more level-headed and cooperative."

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.