Family near site of fugitive's capture "can finally sleep well"

A family that lives within walking distance from where accused cop killer Eric Frein was captured says they can "finally sleep well" after the fugitive was handcuffed by authorities after a seven-week manhunt.

CBS affiliate WYOU-TV reports that Joshua Rushin and his mother Linda live less than a half a mile away from the abandoned Birchwood Pocono Air Hangar. That' where authorities ultimately found Frein, who is accused of ambushing two Pennsylvania state troopers, killing one and seriously wounding the other.

"After tonight, it's a sigh of relief, you can finally sleep well... especially with my little girl here," Joshua Rushin told the station.

Rushin's mother, Linda, told WYOU that her son always took precautions with his family and nagged them to lock the doors.

"It's very eerie," Linda Rushin told the station. "I'm thrilled though that he is caught."

The quiet takedown of Frein, who kneeled and put his hands up when marshals approached him, ended weeks of tension and turmoil in the area, as authorities at times closed schools, canceled outdoor events and blockaded roads to pursue him. Residents grew weary of hearing helicopters whirring overhead, while small businesses suffered mounting losses and town supervisors canceled a popular Halloween parade.

"It feels good to know there's a guy like this off the streets," said Gregory Kubasek, 19, of Marshalls Creek, who drove to the barracks Thursday night to catch a glimpse of Frein.

After being processed, Frein left the barracks in handcuffs around 1:30 a.m. Friday and was taken to the Pike County Correctional Facility. His nose looked swollen and he appeared slightly bloodied above one eye.

State police Commissioner Frank Noonan said Frein was in good health, despite what he described as a "scratch" on his nose that he said was already there when marshals arrested him.

"He looked fairly healthy, healthier than I would've expected," he said.

Frein's initial court appearance was scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at the Pike County Courthouse. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

State police said they didn't know whether Frein, who was unarmed when captured, had been using the hangar as a shelter during his seven weeks on the run, and they wouldn't say what they found there.

"He did not just give up because he was tired," Noonan said. "He gave up because he was caught."

Dickson's family, as well as wounded Trooper Alex Douglass and his family, expressed "relief and gratitude" over Frein's arrest, Noonan said.