Manhunt for Alleged Pennsylvania Cop Killer Forces Residents to Shelter

Eric Frein accused of killing a state trooper, injuring another.

ByABC News
September 19, 2014, 7:34 AM

— -- The search for a self-taught survivalist accused of killing a Pennsylvania state trooper has entered its seventh day as police looking for Eric Frein raced early this morning toward an area near the home he had been sharing with his parents, closing roads and forcing people who live nearby into an emergency shelter.

"When I got here, the state troopers were just flying out of here," Canadensis, Pennsylvania, resident Suzanne Zalebuck said.

Police searching for Frein, 31, were acting on a tip that he was nearby. He allegedly ambushed two state troopers last Friday at the barracks in Blooming Grove Township, killing Bryon Dickson and injuring Alex Douglass.

A funeral for Dickson was held Thursday.

"We still think he's in the area but want to make sure we're covering every base," Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said. "We can't let him leave this area because we think he'd be a danger to law enforcement and society."

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"It was scary," resident Kim Stephens said. "I'm just hoping that the police are all safe and I hope they find this guy so everybody can sleep tight."

But after hours of intensely searching, police found nothing.

"I think the best vocabulary word would be 'eerie.' We feel very ill at ease," Zalebuck said.

Hundreds of officers are involved in the hunt for Frein, including many who are trained in woodland searches. Police say they are also using grids and technology to clear certain areas.

PHOTO: Police said suspect Eric Frein is part of a military simulation group.
Police said suspect Eric Frein is part of a military simulation group.

Police said Wednesday Frein is also part of a "military simulation unit" obsessed with re-enacting Eastern Europe during the Cold War. He was described as a skilled shooter and is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.

Frein's father, a retired U.S. Army major, told police he taught his son how to shoot and that he "doesn't miss." The father also told police during a search of the family's home that two guns were missing : a .308 rifle with a scope and an AK-47, according to court documents.

Frein has a grudge against law enforcement and appeared to be specifically targeting cops, police said.

Frein is charged with first-degree murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and other offenses.

The FBI has since added him to its Most Wanted List and is offering $100,000 for information leading to his capture. That is in addition to an existing $75,000 reward from Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.