Police trooper killed in ambush to be laid to rest

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SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country waited silently outside
a northeastern Pennsylvania cathedral Thursday ahead of a funeral for a state trooper killed in an
ambush outside his barracks.

Troopers lined up 10 deep as they waited for the funeral procession that will bring the body of
38-year-old Cpl. Bryon Dickson to St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton. Two gigantic American flags were
strung between the crossed ladders of fire trucks parked at each end of the block, and a bell tolled for
many minutes.

Dickson was gunned down late Friday outside a rural barracks in the Pocono Mountains. Another trooper was
wounded.

His funeral was being held amid a mood of grief and fear as a manhunt continues 40 miles away for the
killer, identified as a self-taught survivalist who hates police.

Police named Eric Frein, 31, the suspect after finding his abandoned SUV nearby. They said it contained
his driver’s license and spent shell casings matching those at the crime scene.

Dickson, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the state police in 2007 and had worked as a patrol unit
supervisor in the Blooming Grove barracks since June, is survived by his wife of 10 years and two young
sons.

Randy Millhouse, owner of the Promised Land Inn with his wife, put up a sign outside that said "RIP
CRPL BRYON DICKSON," one of many such public displays of honor, respect and grief for the fallen
lawman.

"I was devastated because I have troopers that come in here for dinner and lunch," Millhouse
said. "I was pretty well shook up, and still am until they catch him," he said, referring to
the gunman who police believe is hiding somewhere in the dense forest punctuated by private communities,
vacation homes and hunting cabins.

The search for the suspect entered its sixth day.

On Wednesday, authorities chased down several false sightings in their hunt for Frein, who had shaved his
head in a wide Mohawk sometime before the shooting as "part of the mental preparation to commit
this cowardly act," Lt. Col. George Bivens said Wednesday afternoon.

Frein belonged to a military simulation unit based in eastern Pennsylvania whose members play the role of
soldiers from Cold War-era eastern Europe, Bivens told reporters.

"In his current frame of mind, Frein appears to have assumed that role in real life," he said.

Police named Frein the suspect after finding his abandoned SUV, which contained his driver’s license and
spent shell casings matching those at the crime scene.

State police have warned the public that Frein, of Canadensis, is dangerous, calling him an anti-law
enforcement survivalist who has talked about committing mass murder.

Some public, parochial and charter schools closed Thursday. Others were holding recess, physical
education classes and football practice inside.

"Parents are so frightened for their children," said Pocono Mountain School Board member
Annabella Lastowski.

Bivens said residents should remain "alert and vigilant," report suspicious activity, lock
doors and keep house exteriors well lit. But he said he is "convinced Frein is engaged in a
personal battle with law enforcement, particularly the Pennsylvania State Police, and likely will stay
focused on that fight."

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Associated Press video journalist Joseph Frederick contributed to this report from Greentown,
Pennsylvania.

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