Pennsylvania State Trooper Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop, Suspect Dies by Suicide

Cpl. Timothy J. O'Connor Jr. had been on patrol barely an hour when a call came in for an erratic driver near Walnut Road and Compass Road in Honey Brook Township. He located the vehicle within minutes, radioed that he was stopping the car, and pulled it over near the intersection of Route 10 and Michael Road in West Caln Township, Chester County, at approximately 8:24 p.m. on Sunday, March 9. That radio call was the last anyone heard from him.

As O'Connor approached the driver's side door, the driver fired from inside the vehicle, striking the 15-year Pennsylvania State Police veteran. The gunman, identified as Jesse Nathan Elks, 32, of Honey Brook, then stepped out of the car, walked a short distance, and shot himself with a semi-automatic pistol. He was pronounced dead at the scene. O'Connor, 40, was transported to Paoli Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. West Caln Township sits about 45 miles west of Philadelphia.

PSP acting Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens described the scene at an early Monday morning news conference at Paoli Hospital. O'Connor had called in the stop before approaching the vehicle, Bivens said. "That was the last we heard from Corporal O'Connor." Troopers dispatched to check on him after he stopped responding to radio calls "found a very bad situation," Bivens added. "Anybody you talk to tells you what a great guy he was."

O'Connor joined the Pennsylvania State Police in 2010. He became the 105th member of the agency to be killed in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife, Casey, and a young daughter. Governor Josh Shapiro, who spoke with Casey and O'Connor's parents after the shooting, told reporters that amid many unanswered questions, "the one thing that we absolutely know for certain is that their son, their husband, was a hero and he died protecting others." Shapiro ordered U.S. and Pennsylvania state flags to fly at half-staff in O'Connor's honor and called the fallen trooper "a dedicated public servant" who died "keeping our community safe."

Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said investigators will examine Elks' background and motives. No motive has been established. The PSP Troop J Major Case Team is also investigating.

Law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania issued statements in the days following the shooting. The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association said O'Connor "lived his life with honor, bravery, and integrity." The Lancaster Police Department wrote that he "served the Commonwealth with honor, courage, and a steadfast commitment to protecting others." Chester County Commissioner Eric Roe posted on Facebook that "Chester County's brave police officers put their lives on the line for us every day," adding his thanks for "their extraordinary bravery and sacrifice."

State Attorney General Dave Sunday called the killing "a tragic reminder that no traffic stop is ever routine." It is a line that hits differently when you know that O'Connor had radioed in his position, followed every protocol, and still never made it back to his car.