Pennsylvania state police trooper shot and killed in a traffic stop, authorities say

PAOLI, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was shot and killed by a suspect whom he had pulled over in a traffic stop Sunday night, authorities said.

Cpl. Tim O’Connor was killed as he approached the car when the driver fired from inside the vehicle, the state's acting police commissioner, Lt. Col. George Bivens, told a late Sunday night news conference at Paoli Hospital in Chester County.

The shooter then got out of the car, walked a short distance away and shot and killed himself with a pistol, Bivens said. He did not publicly identify the man.

O'Connor was a 15-year-veteran of the state police who was married and had a young daughter, authorities said.

“Anybody you talk to tells you what a great guy he was,” Bivens said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro told the news conference that he told O'Connor's wife and parents that there were many questions about the shooting, “but the one thing that we absolutely know for certain is that their son, their husband, was a hero and he died protecting others."

“That is a noble calling and that is something we are profoundly grateful for,” Shapiro said.

O'Connor had been on patrol when a call came in for an erratic driver. O'Connor was dispatched and reported shortly afterward that he had pulled over the car at an intersection in West Caln Township, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

“That is the last we heard from Corporal O’Connor," Bivens said.

He didn't respond to radio calls to check on him and troopers dispatched to the scene to check on him “found a very bad situation,” Bivens said.

Police and Chester County authorities were investigating, Bivens said. Chester County's district attorney, Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe, said the shooter was a 32-year-old Chester County resident and that investigators know his identity.

Investigators will look into his background and motives, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

Shapiro ordered U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff to honor O’Connor Jr.

FILE - In this March 6, 2015 photo, a sign marks the location of the barracks for the Pennsylvania State Police in Blooming Grove Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam, file)

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Twenty-three players were shown a red card as a lengthy brawl requiring the intervention of military police marred the final seconds of a Brazilian soccer match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro.

Former Brazil forward Hulk was among the players sent off following the violence that lasted more than a minute and spread from one end of the field toward the other as substitutes, members of coaching staff and security also weighed in.

“We need to acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them,” Hulk wrote on Instagram on Monday. “What happened yesterday does not represent the values ​​that soccer should embody. Rivalry is part of the sport, but respect must always prevail over any emotion.”

It was sparked by a challenge by Cruzeiro midfielder Christian on Atletico goalkeeper Everson, who responded by rugby-tackling his opponent to the ground and dropping both knees into his head.

That led to a mass fight as players from both teams piled in, punching and kicking each other. In footage shared across social media, Hulk, who plays for Atletico, was seen punching an opponent on the back of the head then getting kicked in the chest.

“I apologize to everyone who was in the stadium, to those who watched it on television, and especially to the children who look up to football. What we saw on the pitch is not the example we want to set,” Hulk added.

According to statistics provided by the teams, Cruzeiro had 12 players sent off and Atletico had 11.

Cruzeiro wound up winning 1-0 in the Campeonato Mineiro final to become state champion in Minas Gerais.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - A view of the pitch during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)