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 Bryon and Darla Dickson spoke about the death of their son, police
Corporal Bryon Dickson, and the healing power of forgiveness during
three "Blue Sunday" services honoring law enforcement at the
Community Church in Mount Pocono, about 110 miles north of
Philadelphia.
Following the services, Dickson's father told Reuters in the church
lobby that he and his wife had spoken with the congregation about
their's death, "how we dealt with it," and why they embraced
forgiveness for his killer.
“The only alternative is bitterness," the church pastor, David
Crosby Jr., added. "Forgiveness is the difference between becoming
bitter and getting better.” Dickson nodded in agreement.
Asked about Frein, Dickson said, “For some reason, he didn’t like
the police. We don’t know why.”
 Corporal Dickson, 38, and fellow trooper Alex Douglass, 31, were
gunned down on Sept. 12, 2014, during a late-night shift change
outside the Blooming Grove barracks in the thick woods of eastern
Pennsylvania. Douglass was seriously wounded.
After a seven-week manhunt by hundreds of state and federal law
enforcement that cost an estimated $11.7 million, the suspect, Eric
Frein, was apprehended near an old airstrip at Birchwood, an
abandoned resort in the Poconos. A survivalist and Serbian war
re-enactor, Frein was unemployed and had been living with his
parents in the area before the killing, according to authorities.
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He was on the FBI’s list of most wanted fugitives while at large,
and has been held without bail while awaiting trial on homicide
charges. No trial date has been set.
Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin has said he will seek the
death penalty if Frein is convicted of first-degree murder in
Dickson's death. Frein, who turned 32 on Sunday, also is charged
with shooting Douglass.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Jeffrey Benkoe)
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