March 28, 2015

Trooper injured in Pa. ambush wants to return to force

By Michael Tanenbaum
PhillyVoice Staff

Pennsylvania State Police/AP

Pennsylvania state trooper Alex Douglass was wounded in a Sept. 12 barracks ambush in Blooming Groves.

A Pennsylvania state trooper who survived a deadly ambush last September made his first public remarks on Saturday and expressed his wish to eventually return to the force.

Trooper Alex Douglass was wounded outside the Blooming Groves barracks on September 12, 2014, during an ambush that left Corporal Byron Dickson dead and set off a 48-day manhunt in the Pocono Mountains.

NBC 10 reports that Douglass spoke on Saturday during an event in the borough of Dunmore, where a road was named in honor of Corporal Dickson.

Douglass, who sustained a sniper's shot to the pelvis during the ambush, has already had 16 surgeries. He currently has to walk with a cane and will still require another surgery, which he hopes is his last.

"There were times when I was down and reading everyone's Facebook posts and getting everyone's cards and support -- it was just amazing and really helped me get along," Douglass said.

Douglass plans to begin exercising again and start the next phase of rehabilitation with an ultimate goal of returning to the force.

Suspect Eric Frein was arrested by police and charged with first-degree murder, terrorism and other charges, for which prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty. Frein, a survivalist and former war reenactor, has pleaded not guilty.