Lower Merion police shoot and kill a man wanted for child rape
Francis Connell Collier was wanted for rape of a child, according to police. Officers confronted Collier, which resulted in a fatal shootout.
Police shot and killed a 38-year-old man in Bala Cynwyd this morning after a shootout between the two parties.
Francis Connell Collier was wanted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office on charges of rape of a child when Lower Merion Township Police spotted his vehicle on Old Lancaster Road in the Bala Cynwyd section of Lower Merion around 3:48 a.m.
Officers confronted Collier when they saw him return to his car. According to police, Collier fired at officers who returned fire, fatally wounding Collier.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, as is protocol, is investigating the incident as an “officer-involved shooting.”
Lower Merion Township Police Department said the shooting took place around the area of Old Lancaster Road and City Avenue, a mile from St. Joe’s University, where the incident is contained, and there is no threat to public safety at this time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.