DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) — Hundreds of people paid their respects to a Pennsylvania State Police Corporal killed in the line of duty.
The viewing for Corporal Timothy O’Connor Jr. was held at St. Joseph’s Church in Downingtown on Tuesday evening.
Across the street from the church, American flags line Manor Avenue. Lin George said she and her neighbors decided to place the flags to show support for Corporal O’Connor and other members of law enforcement.
“We’re trying to say we’re sorry. We’re here for you. You’re not alone,” she told Action News. “It’s just an outpouring of love, and people are doing it the way they can.”
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Police say the driver, Jesse Elks, then turned the gun on himself.
On Tuesday, law enforcement officers from departments across the region gathered at the viewing to show their support for the Pennsylvania state police.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel spoke with Action News about the importance of being there.
“When I walk through those church doors, I’m reminded of all the men and women we have lost in the Philadelphia Police Department,” he said.
“It’s important that I bring my entire team down here to show that honor and that reverence to his family. That his work mattered. That he mattered.”
Corporal O’Connor, a 15-year veteran of state police, is being remembered as a selfless public servant – a state trooper, former volunteer firefighter, and mentor.
Above all, he is being remembered as a family man. He leaves behind a wife and daughter.
A private funeral is scheduled for Wednesday morning at St. Joseph’s, starting at 11 a.m.
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