Pennsylvania trooper-ambush suspect planned attack for years, police say

A survivalist suspected of killing a Pennsylvania state trooper had planned the attack and his escape into the nearby wilderness for months, authorities said Friday.

“We are convinced that Eric Frein has been planning this attack for at least a couple years,” said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens. “That information is supported by a search of a computer hard drive which Frein had access to. The search of the PC indicates extensive Internet research on how to avoid police manhunts and skills related to survival.”

Frein, 31, has been on the run since Sept. 12, when he allegedly shot and killed Cpl. Bryon Dixon and severely wounded Trooper Alex T. Douglass in what authorities have described as a “cowardly ambush.”

He’s believed to be hiding in dense mountain wilderness within a five-mile perimeter that authorities set up after the ambush. Police scouring the area have spotted Frein several times from far away, officials said. He’s believed to be armed with a long-range rifle that police believe could be used to ambush troopers hunting for him.

“I almost think that some of this is a game to him,” Bivens said. “He kept himself far enough away that he made it very unlikely that someone could get to him, but he made himself visible.”

During a news conference Friday morning, Bivens sent a message directly to Frein. “Eric, as I told you last week, you are a coward,” Bivens said. “We are not intimidated, we will not leave. We have a clear mission. ... We will protect the community, we will find you, we will bring you to justice.”

Authorities said Frein is a Canadensis, Pa., resident and is a skilled marksman who was trained to shoot by his father, a U.S. Army veteran. He allegedly has anti-government leanings and a long-standing grudge against law enforcement.

Investigators began scouring the woods near Frein’s family home last week, prompting a daylong lockdown of 7,000 residents of the area.

On Wednesday, Bivens said police altered their perimeter somewhat after recovering several discarded cigarette packs and an AK-47-style rifle in the wooded area near Frein’s parents’ home. Although police have not exchanged gunfire with Frein at any point, Bivens said both civilians and investigators have him at distances of less than 500 yards.

Bivens believes Frein may be “probing” the edges of the police perimeter to see if he can escape the dragnet. Gunshots have also been reported in the area, but it’s not clear if those rounds came from the .308 caliber rifle that police believe was used in the attack on the troopers at the Blooming Grove barracks.

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