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O'Connor was a 15-year veteran of the state police who was
married and had a young daughter, authorities said.
“Anybody you talk to tells you what a great guy he was,” Bivens
said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said at the news conference that he told
O'Connor's wife, Casey, and parents that there were many
questions about the shooting, “but the one thing that we
absolutely know for certain is that their son, their husband,
was a hero and he died protecting others."
“That is a noble calling and that is something we are profoundly
grateful for,” Shapiro said.
O’Connor, 40, joined the state police in 2010, state police
said. He became the 105th member of the Pennsylvania State
Police to be killed in the line of duty, the agency said.
O'Connor had been on patrol shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday night
when a call came in for an erratic driver. O'Connor was
dispatched and reported minutes later that he had pulled over
the car at an intersection in West Caln Township, about 45 miles
(72 kilometers) west of Philadelphia, Bivens said.
“That is the last we heard from Corporal O’Connor," Bivens said.
He didn't respond to ensuing radio calls and troopers dispatched
to the scene to check on him “found a very bad situation,”
Bivens said.
Police and Chester County authorities were investigating, Bivens
said.
Chester County's district attorney, Christopher de
Barrena-Sarobe, said investigators will look into Elks'
background and motives.
Shapiro ordered U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff to
honor O’Connor.
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