NEWTOWN SQUARE–On Jan. 23 at approximately 1:40 p.m., Newtown police received information from an off-duty officer who reported a suspicious van driving around the upper Saint Albans neighborhood in Newtown Square.
According to the report, the off-duty officer had arrested a person who was operating a van with All American Chimney on the side of the van approximately a year ago. The van that the off-duty officer observed on Jan. 23 had the same All American Chimney sign on the van, according to the report.
Police were able to locate the van in the parking lot of the Newtown Square Wawa on North Newtown Street Road and had a New York registration plate. Police approached the man sitting in the passenger’s side of the vehicle, who showed police a New York driver’s license. At this time, according to the report, police observed what appeared to be a marijuana blunt in the cup holder.
The man informed the officer that the driver of the vehicle was inside Wawa getting food. When the driver came out of the Wawa, police approached the driver, who also showed police a New York driver’s license. According to the report, both driver’s licenses checks came back negative and the driver’s driver's license was revoked.
The driver then denied driving the van, according to police. When police told the man that he was seen by an off-duty officer driving the van, the man then admitted to driving the van and accepted ownership of the marijuana blunt in the cup holder.
The man was cited for driving without a registered license and a non-traffic citation for the marijuana blunt.
Marijuana legalization and regulation is finally getting the attention it deserves. Senator Daylin Leach has announced plans to introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania.
If this is how police work is going to be conducted, we'll need to start carrying lawyers around in our back pockets to educate the cops