Paoli, Pennsylvania — A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was fatally shot by a suspect who stopped him during a traffic stop Sunday night, authorities said.
Cpl. Acting State Police Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivins said at a news conference late Sunday night at Paoli Hospital in Chester County that Tim O’Connor was killed as he approached the vehicle when the driver fired shots from inside the vehicle.
The shooter then got out of the car, walked a short distance, and fatally shot himself with a handgun, Bivins said. He did not identify the man.
Authorities said O’Connor was married and had a young daughter.
O’Connor was on patrol when a call came in for an erratic driver. O’Connor was dispatched and reported shortly after that he had stopped the vehicle at an intersection in West Caln Township, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.
“That’s the last we heard from Corporal O’Connor,” Bivens said.
Bivins said that he did not respond to radio calls to check on him, and that soldiers who were sent to the scene to check on him “found a very bad situation.”
Bivins said police and Chester County authorities are investigating.