Charges dismissed against skateboarders arrested at Cambridge skatepark

Charges have been dismissed against two Boston men who were arrested last weekend while skateboarding at a Cambridge skatepark amid confusion over the complex’s operating hours, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.

Derek Hanlon, 27, and Askia Burns, 24, were both charged with trespassing at the Lynch Family Skatepark Sunday night by Massachusetts State Police, who enforced rules that the park closed at dusk.

New rules extending the park’s hours to 9 p.m. took effect later this week, although a video of one of the arrest shows new floodlights at the facility — installed to allow nighttime skating — were shining when police confronted skaters around 8:30 p.m.

Hanlon was found not responsible on his trespassing charge, and his resisting arrest charge was dismissed Thursday in Cambridge District Court, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office told Boston.com Friday.

The trespassing charge against Burns was dismissed Monday, according to the spokesperson.

State police have said a trooper found over 30 skaters at the Education Street park after dusk —  then the park’s posted closing time — as he conducted a routine check.

Hanlon allegedly refused to leave the park and resisted arrest, police said. Video posted on social media shows a trooper throwing a man to the ground and detaining him as other skaters plead with him to let the man go.

Burns was allegedly seen walking back toward the skatepark, telling authorities that he would skate again once troopers left, according to police.

State police, who defended the arrests Monday, said they enforced the rules as they were posted and written by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

DCR said the park — where the new floodlights first turned on last week — was open from dawn until dark on Sunday and that new hours would take effect once new signs were installed this week.