The nearly two-month long manhunt for Eric Frein ended quietly on Thursday night when the suspect was taken into custody. Frein is the fugitive accused of killing a state trooper and seriously wounding another in September.
The search for Eric Frein began 48 days ago, forcing residents to remain in their home for long periods of time as hundreds of police officers searched wooded areas and closed schools, the Washington Post reported.
Frein surrendered to federal marshals on Thursday after he was found hiding in an abandoned airport in the Poconos Mountains. The marshals turned Frein over to the Pennsylvania State Police, the New York Times reported.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Sam Rabadi” author_title=”Agent in charge of the Philadelphia field office of the ATF”]
Frein has been stripped of his guns, his bombs and his freedom. This community can now rest. He now has to answer for his violent actions.
[/quote]
Frein has been charged with opening fire outside of the police barracks in Blooming Grove on September 12. Two state troopers were shot in what authorities described as an ambush. Cpl. Bryon Dickson was killed, while Alex Douglass was seriously injured.
Police identified Frein three days later when his Jeep was found in a pool nearby. Police found shell casings that matched those from the barracks, along with Frein’s driver’s license. Frein was added to the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives one week after the shooting.
Frein faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of weapons of mass destruction and reckless endangerment. The Pike County district attorney, Raymond Tonkin, said he will seek the death penalty.
After Frein was captured, around 20 law enforcement officers gathered at Rudy’s Tavern in East Stroudsburg to celebrate, ABC News reported. As Frein made his first court appearance on Friday, he was met with jeers from locals who packed the courthouse. One woman yelled, “You’re lucky we didn’t get you during hunting season,” while several angry spectators called him a coward.
