BOSTON (WHDH) - A Boston man was slammed to the ground by state police and arrested for trespassing after officers thought he was using the park after closing time, Derek Hanlon says.
“He threw me to the ground. He put his knees on my neck. He told me to stop resisting, but I couldn’t move my arm because it was crushed under my body,” Hanlon said.
A trooper making a routine check of Lynch Skate Park about 8:26 p.m. spotted numerous people still in the skate park well after dark in violation of the park’s closing time, which is dusk, according to a sign hanging nearby, according to state police.
Despite making numerous requests for the skaters to leave, both from his cruiser and in person, the trooper arrested Hanlon, 27, on a trespassing charge after he allegedly refused to leave and resisted arrest as more than a dozen other people looked on.
A second man, Askia Burns, 24, was arrested shortly after for saying he was going to return to skating as soon as police left.
But Hanlon says he was not resisting arrest and just wanted to know what was going on. He says because of the newly installed lights there, the park is open until 9 p.m.
“This was the public state park. We have every right to be there,” Hanlon said. “If he had explained why we couldn’t be there, I would’ve gladly walked away, but he gave me no answer.”
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation admits there was no sign posted at the park Monday, and the one installed says the park closes after dark.
But a tweet posted in August from the Charles River Conservancy says as the days get shorter, people will be able to skate into the evening because of the lights.
“I called DCR, and they confirmed the park is open until 9 p.m.,” Hanlon said. “It’s just inexcusable. There is no reason for it.”
DCR says they will install new signs with the new closing time of 9 p.m., but the current schedule – closing at dusk – is in effect until the signs are installed.
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