Police: Man cornered in yard after fleeing when officer spots gun on Tarentum boat dock

A Tarentum man was charged with carrying a gun without a permit after police accused him of running from a boat launch when an officer spotted the weapon on a dock.

Ryan Allen Berry, 21, of the 900 block of East Sixth Avenue faces a felony charge in connection with the July 25 incident at the boat launch along East First Avenue.

He was released on a nonmonetary bond to await a preliminary hearing Aug. 30 before District Judge Carolyn Bengel.

An officer wrote in a criminal complaint that he was patrolling near the boat launch shortly before 1:45 a.m. when he heard people yelling near the boat dock.

As the officer approached a group of teens and young adults, he saw a handgun on the dock and asked who owned the firearm. Berry told the officer it was his, but he ran toward First Avenue when asked to show his identification, according to the complaint.

Police chased Berry through the lower east side of Tarentum until he was captured in the rear of a fenced-in yard along the 200 block of Wood Street, the complaint said.

Police said an officer’s portable radio and a fence were damaged during the chase.