Frein Ordered to Stand Trial in Trooper Slaying

Eric Frein is led away by Pennsylvania State Police Troopers at the Pike County Courthouse after his preliminary hearing on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 in Milford, Pa. Frein is charged with fatally shooting a Pennsylvania state trooper and wounding another during an ambush at their barracks in September. A judge ordered Frein to stand trial on the charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Frein led authorities on a 48-day manhunt through the Pocono woods before marshals captured him at an abandoned airplane hangar.

Accused cop killer Eric Frein was ordered to stand trial Monday after a preliminary hearing in which a key piece of evidence — surveillance video showing the attack on two Pennsylvania state troopers — was shown publicly for the first time.

The Morning Call describes that video:

On the video, Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Bryon Dickson walks out into the night air at the Blooming Grove barracks, no doubt glad to be done his 3 to 11 p.m. shift.

Suddenly, he drops down and disappears from view.

There’s no sound on the Sept. 12 surveillance video, but one can imagine the screams of the female communications officer shown running back into the station and banging on a reception window for help.

Another trooper, Alex Douglass, appears on video a few seconds later. He too falls down, and is then seen in the next frame dragging himself through the barracks lobby on his elbows, his legs motionless behind him.

Douglass survived, Dickson was killed. Frein was captured only after a 48-day manhunt.

Prosecutors put on 10 witnesses before a judge bound Frein over for trial. William Ruzzo, one of Frein’s attorneys, told The Morning Call that the defense’s job is to avoid the death penalty for his client. “It’s a battle,” he said. “Our job is to just do our best to save Mr. Frein’s life.”