Trooper-ambush suspect spotted several times in manhunt, police say

As the sprawling manhunt for a man suspected of killing a Pennsylvania state trooper entered its 12th day, police officials said Wednesday that they believe they have spotted Eric Frein several times as they continue to scour a densely wooded area near his family’s home.

Lt. Col. George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the state police, told reporters on Wednesday that Frein has been spotted on multiple occasions, but the terrain where he is hiding has made it difficult for officers to capture him.

“I almost think that some of this is a game to him,” Bivens said. “He kept himself far enough away that he made it very unlikely that someone could get to him, but he made himself visible.”

Frein has been on the run since Sept. 12, when he allegedly shot and killed Cpl. Bryon Dixon and severely wounded Trooper Alex T. Douglass in what authorities have described as a “cowardly ambush.”

The 31-year-old Canadensis, Pa., resident is a skilled marksman trained to shoot by his father, a U.S. Army veteran, and has anti-government leanings and a long-standing grudge against law enforcement, police have said.

Investigators began scouring the woods near Frein’s family home last week, prompting a daylong lockdown of 7,000 residents of the area.

The “shelter in place” order has since been lifted, but residents were unnerved by the sprawling search in their typically sleepy mountain enclave.

On Wednesday, Bivens said police have altered their perimeter somewhat after recovering several discarded cigarette packs and an AK-47-style rifle in the wooded area near Frein’s parents home.

Although police have not exchanged gunfire with Frein at any point, Bivens said both civilians and investigators have him at distances of less than 500 yards. Bivens believes Frein may be “probing” the edges of the police perimeter to see if he can escape the dragnet.

Gunshots have also been reported in the area, but it’s not clear if those rounds came from the .308 caliber rifle that police believe was used in the attack on the troopers at the Blooming Grove barracks.

After interviewing several friends and uncovering missives penned by Frein, Bivens said Wednesday that police now believe he spent years planning the attack.

“There are some notes, there are writings. … I’m not going to go into specific details about those items but taken as a whole all those things indicate he has been planning this for a long time,” Bivens said.

Bivens made another direct appeal to Frein to end the manhunt before anyone else is hurt.

“It’s time to surrender, before this gets any worse for him, before he gets hurt or worse,” he said. “We’re not going away.”

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