Newly Sworn-in Police Officer Resigns After Being Charged in Alleged Road Rage Incident

January 16, 2025

Collingdale Police Officer Kevon Darden Resigns Days After Being Sworn In Amid Road Rage Charges

A newly sworn-in Collingdale Borough police officer resigned less than a week after joining the department after Pennsylvania State Police filed charges connected to an alleged 2023 road rage incident in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

Kevon Darden, 28, had only recently been sworn in as a Collingdale police officer when the department and borough officials learned he was facing criminal charges. According to multiple Philadelphia-area news reports, Darden resigned on Thursday, January 16, 2025, only days after being sworn in on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

The charges reportedly stemmed from an April 2023 incident on I-476 in Delaware County. According to reports citing Pennsylvania State Police and court documents, Darden allegedly became involved in an altercation with another driver and was accused of threatening the driver with a gun. The other driver reportedly claimed a shot was fired during the confrontation. Darden denied firing a gun and disputed the allegations, according to news reports.

At the time of the alleged road rage incident, Darden was reportedly a Cheyney University police officer. By the time charges were filed in January 2025, he had just started with the Collingdale Police Department, a small borough department that had already been dealing with staffing shortages and outside scrutiny.

FOX 29 reported that Darden faced charges including terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, and harassment. KYW Newsradio also reported that Darden was charged with simple assault, harassment, making terroristic threats, and other offenses.

The timing immediately raised questions about Collingdale’s hiring and vetting process. CBS Philadelphia reported that Collingdale Police Chief Shanee N. Mitchell said the circumstances were unknown to her and council when Darden was hired. WPVI/6ABC reported that Mitchell said a background check had been completed and came back clean.

Pennsylvania State Police said the delay in filing charges was connected to forensic evidence that had been sent to a lab and required time to process. Reports also indicated that input from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office was needed before the final charges were approved.

The case placed Collingdale’s already troubled police staffing situation back in the spotlight. CBS Philadelphia reported that Pennsylvania State Police had been assisting Collingdale with overnight patrol coverage because of the borough’s police staffing problems. Darden’s resignation, coming almost immediately after his swearing-in, became another public embarrassment for a department trying to stabilize its ranks.

This case is another reminder that police hiring decisions must be handled with care, transparency, and real accountability. When someone is given a badge, a gun, and the authority to enforce the law, the public has a right to expect that their background has been thoroughly reviewed. In this case, the public record raises serious questions about how a newly sworn-in officer could resign within days after charges tied to an earlier alleged gun-related road rage incident came to light.

As with all criminal cases, the charges against Darden are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of competent jurisdiction.

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