page_title: 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack
section_title: Perpetrator
hierarchical_section_title: 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack / Perpetrator
caption_attribution_description: English: Wanted Poster accompanying the FBI Press Release announcing the capture of Eric Matthew Frein on October 30, 2014
context_page_description: On September 12, 2014, during a shift change at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove Township, two state troopers were shot with a .308 caliber rifle. One trooper died at the scene and another was taken to a hospital where he recovered. Eric Frein was identified by the police as the only suspect in the case, and led the police on a weeks-long manhunt. He was eventually captured at an abandoned airport hangar on October 30, and charged with terrorism, murder, and attempted murder. Frein was convicted of all charges in April 2017, and subsequently sentenced to death.
context_section_description: Eric Matthew Frein was identified as the main suspect of the attack after the discovery of an abandoned 2001 Jeep Cherokee three days after the event. The vehicle was traced back to his parents, and multiple pieces of evidence, including bullet casings matched to the attack, were discovered inside. He led authorities on a manhunt after the shootings, eventually being placed on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
  Frein was described by police as a "self-taught survivalist" with a grudge against law enforcement personnel. At the time of the attack, he was a reenactor who acted in a variety of roles, most often Serbian soldiers. In 2008, Frein founded Istocni Vuk or "Eastern Wolf", whose Myspace page pictured Frein engaged in recreational military simulations as a Serbian soldier.
  The police manhunt, initially involving nearly 200 officers by September 17, grew to nearly 1,000 on September 24. Law enforcement officers included local police; state police forces from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Frein was seen several times during the manhunt, but each time, officers were unable to approach him directly due to the rugged terrain of the area, which allowed Frein to escape. They subsequently believed Frein was taunting them during the manhunt. A colleague from the MilSim group "Red Alliance" suggested that "If he's re-enacting anyone, it's Rambo from the very first movie," referring to the character of John Rambo in First Blood.
  Frein was captured by U.S. Marshals near Birchwood-Pocono Airpark, an abandoned airfield approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) ENE of Tannersville, on October 30, 48 days after the shooting. At the time of his arrest, he was unarmed, but a .308-caliber rifle and a pistol were recovered afterward. He was arrested without incident and restrained using handcuffs belonging to Dickson. The day after his capture, he was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the attack.
  Although Frein did not resist arrest, he suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose, as well as a scrape over his left eye and bruises to his cheeks and eyes. The U.S. Marshals claim this occurred while he was lying on the ground during his arrest. The Pennsylvania State Police, however, claim these injuries occurred while he was on the run.
caption: Wanted Poster accompanying the FBI Press Release announcing the capture of Eric Matthew Frein on October 30, 2014
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