Funeral Arrangements Set For Officer Brad Fox
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) - Funeral arrangements were set for a Plymouth Township Officer who was killed in the line of duty Thursday evening after responding to a hit-and-run crash.
Services for Officer Brad Fox will include two public viewings, held Tuesday, September 18th from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Wednesday, September 19th from 7 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., located at 3040 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting. A Catholic Mass will follow the Wednesday viewing at 11 a.m.
The burial will take place at Washington Crossing National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Authorities in Montgomery County identified the killer of Officer Fox Thursday evening, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.
Investigators say before taking his own life, 44-year-old Andrew Charles Thomas killed K-9 Officer Bradley Fox following a hit-and-run crash a little after 5:30 p.m. in Plymouth Township.
READ: Plymouth Township Police Officer Fatally Shot Responding To Hit-And-Run
Less than an hour before the shooting, while officers were investigating a three-car crash in the 1200 block of East Ridge Pike, they observed a silver, 2006 Infiniti SUV speed and pass stopped traffic in the opposing lane of traffic.
Officer Bradley Fox and backup officers followed the SUV from Ridge Pike onto Conshohocken Road. While on Conshohocken Road, authorities say the Infiniti struck a white Chrysler 300 Sedan and then fled the scene.
After being alerted from another motorist, Officer Fox followed the path of the SUV and found it abandoned on Ernest Station Road.
Authorities say within minutes, Officer Fox radioed for backup, and he and his K-9 partner, Nick, began a foot pursuit into an industrial area along the Schuylkill River Trail.
Andrew Charles Thomas
According to investigators, Thomas hid on the hill above the train tracks obscured by tall weeds. Crime scene evidence indicates he ambushed Officer Fox by firing at least four shots at the officer and his K-9 partner from a vantage point where he could not be seen.
When responding officers arrived, they found Officer Fox sustained a gunshot wound to the head. He was later pronounced dead at Montgomery Hospital.
His K-9 partner suffered a graze wound and is fine, according to authorities.
Responding officers found Thomas. They say he had sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest and was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed his manner of death to be suicide, according to police.
Authorities say at the time of the shooting, Thomas was on probation in Montgomery County after pleading guilty to a forgery charge in May. Authorities also say for the last 13 years Thomas has been the prime suspect in the 1999 disappearance of then-fiancee Maria Procopio. She was last seen leaving the QVC in West Chester after work and hasn't been found since. Thomas, who has been charged with other crimes, was never charged with Procopio's disappearance or suspected murder.
By phone, Procopio's sister, Teresa Camino told Eyewitness News, she could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Thomas' name on the news again. While she has many unanswered questions, for now, the family is grieving for the officer.
Camino said, "Shocked that it was so senseless and sad that it happened. Our whole family, right now, waited twelve years for closure and for peace but right now our thoughts and prayers are with the widow and family of Officer Fox. He was a true hero who served his country and community."
Meanwhile, Officer Fox leaves behind a pregnant wife and a young daughter. A seven-year veteran of the police force, he would have turned 35 on Friday.
A trust fund has been set up for the family of Officer Fox:
Fox Children's Fund
C/O Continental Bank
661 W. Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
