Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Charles Dimock died after falling from a railroad bridge while attempting to arrest a group of hobos who were riding on a Lehigh Valley Railroad freight train.
He had received word that 15 men were riding on the train by a railroad detective. The detective, Chief Dimock, and several other officers had gone to the railroad bridge outside of town and intercepted it. After removing seven people from the train Chief Dimock fell through a gap in the railroad ties on the bridge. He fell 36 feet to the rocks below and suffered a fatal back injury.
Chief Dimock was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War and had served with the Towanda Borough Police Department for 15 years.
On this 130th anniversary of your heroic actions and untimely departure, we say thank you for your service and please know that no passage of time will ever erase your sacrifice and heroism. Rest in peace always.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) July 20th, 2020
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-E2965C70- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Charles. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Chief of Police Dimock gave the Towanda Borough Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Towanda community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles W. Dimock served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Chief of Police Charles W. Dimock is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles W. Dimock's cause is highlighted.
How Charles W. Dimock Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles W. Dimock is highlighted in Jul.