Pennsylvania police chief found dead in patrol vehicle while on duty, officials say
GOOD MORNING. 656 TIME FOR WGAL NEWS EIGHT TO GO. AND WE BEGIN WITH CHRISTINE ON THIS IMPACT DAY. WITH THE TIMING ON THE STORMS FOR TODAY. THIS MORNING IT IS WARM AND HUMID AND SUNNY. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE DRY WEATHER FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. SECOND HALF BETWEEN 2 P.M. AND ABOUT 10 P.M. THAT’S OUR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. RIGHT NOW, 63 IN LEWISTOWN. GOOD MORNING HARRISBURG. YOU’RE AT 69. SAME FOR CARLISLE, 70 ALREADY IN YORK. IT IS A MORNING OUT THERE BECAUSE LOOK AT OUR DEW POINTS. THEY ARE WELL INTO THE 60S AT THAT’S PRETTY STUFFY. NOW HERE’S THE COMPETITIVE OUTLOOK FOR THIS AFTERNOON. YOU SEE, MOST OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY IS INCLUDED IN THAT MARGINAL THAT VERY LOW RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. IF YOU DO SEE SOME STORMS TODAY, THEY COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING, AS WELL AS SOME ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND SMALL HAIL. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT OUR WEATHER PLANNER. WE START THE DAY WITH SUNNY, WARM, MUGGY CONDITIONS, BUT WE ONLY GET TO 86 NO 90 TODAY IN OUR FORECAST THIS EVENING. THAT’S THE HIGHEST CHANCE FOR THOSE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE COOL HOLIDAY WEEKEND COMING UP. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. RIGHT NOW WE ARE STILL FOLLOWING THE CRASH IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN LOWER ALLEN TOWNSHIP THERE ON GETTYSBURG ROAD BETWEEN 10TH STREET AND CARLISLE ROAD. RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE TRAFFIC STILL MOVING AROUND THAT INCIDENT. ALSO IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP ROUTE SEVEN, 72 WEST HIGH STREET AND PENN STREET. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT INCIDENT WILL BE MONITORING THAT FOR YOU AS WELL. BEAUTIFUL DRIVE. FULTON TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, ROUTE 222 AT 272. A LOVELY COMMUTE FOR DRIVERS OUT THERE. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SUNGLASSES ON. I’M GABRIELLE THOMAS, LIVE HERE IN HARRISBURG, JANELLE STELSON DEFEATED DAUPHIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUSTIN DOUGLAS BY MORE THAN 20,000 VOTES. SHE NOW FACES INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN SCOTT PERRY IN NOVEMBER’S GENERAL ELECTION FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S 10TH DISTRICT. SUBSTANCE SAYS IF ELECTED, HER FOCUS WILL BE ON AFFORDABILITY, INCLUDING WAGES AND HOUSING, AS DEMOCRATS AIM TO FLIP THE SEAT. FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S GOVERNOR’S RACE. BOTH CANDIDATES ADVANCE. THEY RAN UNOPPOSED. THAT MEANS GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO WILL FACE STACY GARRITY, WHO IS THE CURRENT STATE TREASURER IN NOVEMBER. ALSO ON THE BALLOT, THE RACE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT AUSTIN DAVIS LOOKING TO KEEP HIS SEAT. HE WILL FACE PITTSBURGH AREA ATTORNEY JOHN JASON RITCHIE, WHO DEFEATED FORMER U.P.S. EXECUTIVE JOHN VETRI BY MORE THAN 200,000 VOTES IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. WE ARE ALSO FOLLOWING A SPECIAL ELECTION IN YORK COUNTY. THIS IS THE 196TH STATE HOUSE DISTRICT THAT INCLUDES DOVER AND SPRING GROVE AND SEVEN VALLEYS. REPUBLICAN GEORGE MARGETTS DEFEATED DEMOCRAT RON RUBIN IN THIS RACE. BOTH CANDIDATES ARE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS IN WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP. SO NOW MARGETTS WILL SERVE THE REST OF THIS CURRENT TERM UNTIL THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WHEN HE WILL HAVE TO RUN AGAIN AND REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT SENATOR CHRIS GEPHARDT WON IN THE 48TH DISTRICT, WHICH COVERS LEBANON AND BERKS COUNTIES, AS WELL AS PARTS OF NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY. THE CHALLENGER IN THIS PRIMARY, CLOVIS CRANE AND DEBATE OVER SKILL GAMES DOMINATED THIS RACE AFTER GEPHARDT PROPOSED A 35% TAX ON GAME OPERATORS, CRANE OPPOSED THAT AND GOT A LOT OF CAMPAIGN MONEY FROM SKILLED GAME OPERATORS. SO GEPHARDT IS LIKELY TO WIN REELECTION NOW, AS NO DEMOCRAT WAS ON THE BALLOT IN THE PRIMARY IN THAT RACE. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEEKEND IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE AS WE HEAD TOWARDS SATURDAY. THAT’S OUR BEST CHANCE OF RAIN OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY RAINY DAY AND A COOL DAY. IT’S GOING TO BE THE COOLEST. CHALLENGING THE RECORD COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECASTING MID 50S. THE RECORD IS 54. THERE’S A LOOK AT THE TEN DAY FORECAST. TODAY WE HAVE SOME SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING STORMS. WE SEE LIGHT RAIN TO MODERATE RAIN TOMORROW MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. THEN THAT CLEARS BY EVENING. FRIDAY IS LOOKING MAINLY DRY.
Pennsylvania police chief found dead in patrol vehicle while on duty, officials say
Updated: 11:13 AM EDT May 20, 2026
An Allegheny County police chief was found dead inside his patrol vehicle while on duty, according to authorities. Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today.Heidelberg Borough officials said Police Chief Dennis Dixon was found around 8:50 p.m. Monday, May 18. “Heidelberg Borough and the Heidelberg Borough Police Department are saddened to announce the sudden and tragic death of Police Chief Dennis Dixon while on duty,” the borough said in a release. Officials said Dixon joined the department in 2008 and was promoted to Chief of Police in 2018. No additional details have been released. The Allegheny County Police Department is investigating, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
HEIDELBERG, Pa. —
An Allegheny County police chief was found dead inside his patrol vehicle while on duty, according to authorities.
Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today.
Heidelberg Borough officials said Police Chief Dennis Dixon was found around 8:50 p.m. Monday, May 18.
“Heidelberg Borough and the Heidelberg Borough Police Department are saddened to announce the sudden and tragic death of Police Chief Dennis Dixon while on duty,” the borough said in a release.
Officials said Dixon joined the department in 2008 and was promoted to Chief of Police in 2018.
No additional details have been released.
The Allegheny County Police Department is investigating, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.