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BLOOMING GROVE TWP. — It was an emotional morning Friday for family members of slain Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson, II. With a mixture of broad smiles, tears and hugs, they gathered to witness the dedication of the Exit 30 off ramp of Interstate 84 to the late Marine and state trooper.
Dickson, a 1994 Wyoming Area High School graduate who lived in Dunmore, was killed in the line of duty in an ambush shooting on Sept. 12, 2014, at the Blooming Grove State Police Barracks, about a mile from the dedication site. Trooper Alex Douglass was also shot and severely injured during the attack.
Following the dedication ceremony, Dickson’s mother, Darla Dickson, of Falls, expressed gratitude to all who served the family over the last year by helping keep the memory of her son alive.
“I think time may pass, but we do not forget,” she said. “For each one who served and remembered him, it warms our hearts and we’re grateful.”
State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, introduced legislation for the ramp dedication as a way of remembering and honoring Dickson for his service to the nation and state and his leadership in his community. The legislation was signed by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Baker conducted the opening of the ceremony, with a presentation of colors by Pennsylvania State Police Color Guard, Pledge of Allegiance led by PSP Lt. Col. George Bivens and invocation by Msgr. Thomas M. Muldowney. Remarks were given by Baker, Wolf, PSP Acting Commissioner Col. Tyree C. Blocker and state Rep. Mike Peifer, R-Greene Township.
Members of the Dickson family participated in the unveiling of the sign and Muldowney gave the closing benediction.
“Corporal Dickson was a father, a husband, a Pennsylvania State Trooper, a United States Marine and a public servant,” Blocker said during his remarks. “And someone who demonstrated leadership in this community.”
He added Dickson’s death was a loss not only to his family and the department, but to the community as a whole.
“His wife and sons will always be a part of this community,” he said.
During the year since Dickson’s death, the region has rallied in support of the trooper’s family. In May, Community Church in Tobyhanna hosted a “Blue Sunday” event in Cpl. Dickson’s honor. In June, a flowering pear tree was planted near Montgomery Avenue Elementary School in West Pittston in his memory.
In August, Scranton artist Ryan Ritterbeck presented a portrait of Dickson to the Blooming Grove barracks.
Eric Frein, 32, of Canadensis, has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, among other offenses, in the ambush. He was captured in Pocono Township after a 48-day manhunt. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the case has yet to go to trial.
According to a Sept. 30 story in the Pocono Record, Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin is accusing Lackawanna County District Attorney Andrew Jarbola of attempting to keep information regarding a state police internal affairs investigation sealed from defense attorneys. Shortly after the ambush, the State Police Internal Affairs Division launched an investigation of alleged crimes committed in Pike and Lackawanna counties between August 2013 and spring 2014, according to court records.
Witnesses who may be called to testify at trial would likely be questioned regarding those allegations.
Andrew Scott of the Pocono Record contributed to this report.
