PAOLI, Pa. — A Pennsylvania State Police corporal lost his life Sunday evening after being gunned down during what began as a routine traffic stop in Chester County, officials announced.
Corporal Tim O’Connor was fatally wounded as he walked toward the stopped vehicle when the driver opened fire from inside, according to Acting Police Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens, who addressed media during a late-night briefing at Paoli Hospital.
Following the shooting, the gunman exited his vehicle, moved a short distance away, and fatally shot himself using a handgun, Bivens reported. Officials have not released the identity of the shooter.
The fallen officer leaves behind a wife and young daughter, according to authorities.
The deadly encounter began when O’Connor was working his patrol shift and received a dispatch call about a driver behaving erratically. After being assigned to respond, O’Connor radioed that he had successfully stopped the vehicle at an intersection in West Caln Township, located approximately 45 miles west of Philadelphia.
“That is the last we heard from Corporal O’Connor,” Bivens stated during the press conference.
When O’Connor failed to respond to subsequent radio communications, fellow troopers were sent to his location to conduct a welfare check and “found a very bad situation,” Bivens explained.
The incident remains under investigation by state police and Chester County officials, Bivens confirmed.
