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Coaldale man jailed for Tamaqua incident

A Coaldale man got more than he bargained for when he tried to pay a bill after hours at Tamaqua Borough Hall on June 16.

Ian Patrick McGregor, 32, was at the municipal building at 4:43 p.m. to pay a bill and found the office to be closed. Instead of leaving and coming back another day, McGregor tried to find another way around the building.According to the officer's report, McGregor jumped over a 6-foot-high wooden fence separating the front of the building from the police department's parking area, just as the officer was backing a patrol car into a space. The officer asked McGregor why he jumped over the fence and entered the secure area.The response was, "Don't worry about it, dude." McGregor started walking away, ignoring the officer's request to stop and talk. As the officer followed McGregor to the east side of the building, he continued to try and find out why the man had entered the secure area. The only response he received was obscene language.When told he was under arrest, McGregor got into a car parked on the east side of the building and tried to shut the door, almost striking the officer. He then exited the car and approached the officer, swung his arms in an aggressive manner and pushed the officer.At that point, the officer used his Taser, striking McGregor in the chest. McGregor resisted all attempts to be placed in handcuffs until a second officer arrived on scene.McGregor was cited for two counts of aggravated assault, criminal trespass, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned before on-call District Judge Anthony Kilker, of Shenandoah, who set bail at $25,000 straight cash. Unable to post bond he was transported to the Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville.