Officials: Trooper Likely Shot Twice During Latrobe Standoff
LATROBE (KDKA) – Police revealed new details about an 18-hour standoff on Friday that left one trooper injured and the suspect dead.
Trooper Brian King was injured after authorities said 46-year-old Scott Murphy opened fire on him and other members of the Special Emergency Response Team during a standoff in Latrobe on Friday.
It turned out to be a nearly 18-hour ordeal after Murphy was pursued by police after being suspected of robbing a local drug store of Oxycontin pills.
In the exchange with police, investigators have determined Murphy was shot multiple times after the second attempt to enter the home just before noon Friday.
"At this time we do not have a final autopsy report for the crooners office on Mr. Murphy," said Matchik. "But we do believe at this time he was shot several times by our Special Emergency Response Team members."
Today, officials said King was likely hit by two rounds. The first round penetrated his helmet, while the second grazed it.
"Appears to be two different, separate markings, yellow in color from a point of entry and exit or ricochet from another bullet. So, that was the ballistic helmet Trooper King was wearing at the time of the incident when he faced the gunfire from suspect Murphy," Trooper John Matchik said. "And you can see markings on the left side of the mask. Some of the fragments had impacted the left side of that face shield and you can also see some residual blood markings inside the mask."
State police said Murphy made what police saw as suicidal statements during their talks with him during the hours it took to bring the standoff to a conclusion.
Trooper King is expected to recover, but police this morning had no specifics on the status of his vision.
"Very, very fortunate," said Matchik. "I mean when you look at the situation at hand, how dangerous it was, the exchange of gunfire and that's what the equipment is designed to do. But keep in mind it's the equipment used In conjunction with their training and tactics that ultimately may have assisted in saving his life."
He is currently home, but will undergo additional treatment for his eye.
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