Police were kept busy over two days when an attempt to take someone into custody in Norristown led to tracking a fleeing vehicle across multiple municipalities, a loaded gun along the roadway, a SWAT Team, and three arrests.
According to court documents, just before 11:00 a.m. October 15th, police observed Ronnie Dingle climbing a fence on the 600 block of DeKalb Street in Norristown, exiting a commercial building, and then getting into a dark gray Honda Accord. Police, including a special agent from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, attempted to take Dingle into custody due to an arrest warrant for a firearms violation. As police blocked the Honda and approached the vehicle, it successfully sped away, almost striking an officer and hitting two police vehicles.
The vehicle was next located at 11:00 a.m. on Plymouth Road in Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Township) when an automated license plate reader detected it. The next ping from a license plate reader came at 1:41 p.m. in West Conshohocken at the base of the Matsonford Bridge. A West Conshohocken police officer pursued and attempted to stop the vehicle at 1:45 p.m., which had crossed the bridge and was now at New Elm and Light streets in Conshohocken (Plymouth Township).
The vehicle fled via Conshohocken Road towards Ridge Pike and almost struck a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff on a motorcycle at the intersection with Lafayette Street. The vehicle was able to turn right onto Ridge Pike and continued to flee, striking construction barriers. Police lost the vehicle near the five points intersection of Ridge, Chemical, Colwell, and North Lane.
The Honda was discovered just after 2:00 p.m. on Righter Street in Conshohocken (Whitemarsh Township) after a call about two men running from a disabled vehicle. Police responded to the area and arrested 18-year-old Marquan Ferrell and 19-year-old Tayvonne Bibbs, both of Norristown, near the 800 block of East Elm Street. Ferrell was taken into custody for fleeing and eluding police and related offenses. The key to the Honda was found in his possession. Bibbs was taken into custody on an existing probation violation involving a firearm offense. It is not mentioned in the court documents when it was believed Dingle exited the vehicle.
Neither Ferrell nor Bibbs was the person whom the police had spotted climbing the fence earlier in the day and fleeing in the Honda.
The following day (October 16th), the West Conshohocken Police Department received a report of a gun along Conshohocken Road. The recovered pistol was loaded with a bullet in the chamber. Due to its location and condition, police believe the gun was ditched the previous day from the Honda.
Later on October 16th, police received information on the whereabouts of 20-year-old Ronnie Dingle of Norristown, who was believed to be the person spotted climbing the fence the day prior and fleeing in the Honda. The Central Montgomery County SWAT Team took him into custody from a home on West Hector Street in Conshohocken. The photo at the top of this article shows the intersection of West Elm and Oak streets blocked by police. West Hector Street runs just behind the church.
According to police, clothing and other items discovered inside the home fit the description of the man observed climbing the fence the day prior. Also discovered were two Glock-style pistols with extended magazines.
Dingle has been charged with Aggravated Assault (Attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference), Conspiracy – Aggravated Assault (Attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference), firearms offenses, and related offenses. Bail was set at $100,077.00 ($77.00 is essentially a notification system within the court to show an existing probation/parole issue). A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 5th before Magisterial District Judge Hakim K. Jones. He is currently confined at the Montgomery County Prison.
Ferrell was charged with Aggravated Assault (Attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference), two other Aggravated Assault charges, and charges associated with fleeing. He is currently confined at the Montgomery County Prison. Bail was set at $99,077.00. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 5th before Magisterial District Judge Hakim K. Jones. He is currently confined at the Montgomery County Prison.
Bibbs was charged with Aggravated Assault (Attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference), three other Aggravated Assault charges, and charges associated with fleeing. He is currently confined at the Montgomery County Prison. Bail was set at $99,077.00. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 5th before Magisterial District Judge Hakim K. Jones. He is currently confined at the Montgomery County Prison.
Ferrell, Bibbs, and Dingle were all prohibited from possessing, using, manufacturing, controlling, selling, or transferring firearms due to previous convictions or adjudications.