LOWER MERION — Montgomery County authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Lower Merion Township during which a man wanted by state authorities for alleged child rape in Delaware County was fatally shot.
At 3:48 a.m. Feb. 25, Lower Merion police were on patrol on Old Lancaster Road in the Bala Cynwyd section of the township when they spotted a vehicle that belonged to 38-year-old Francis Connell Collier, who was wanted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office on charges of rape of a child, according to authorities.
The officers saw Collier returning to his vehicle, and when they confronted him, Collier fired at the officers, who returned fire and fatally wounded Collier, according to a release issued by District Attorney Kevin R. Steele on Wednesday morning.
“Per protocol for officer-involved shootings in the county, Montgomery County Detectives responded to the scene and are investigating the shooting,” Steele wrote in the release.
According to online court records, the state attorney general’s office filed child sexual assault related charges against Collier on Feb. 24, stemming from an alleged Dec. 1, 2025, incident in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County. Those charges included rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault and simple assault.
Additional information about the alleged Upper Darby Township incident that led to the charges against Collier was not available.
Attempts to reach representatives for the attorney general’s office for comment on Wednesday morning were unsuccessful.
This is a developing story and will be updated when additional information becomes available.