State trooper found fatally shot in car

[HiredGoon]

State Trooper Dies From Gunshot In Blair County

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 – updated: 2:22 pm EST December 2, 2008

FREEDOM JUNCTION, Pa. --
A state trooper died from a gunshot wound near an interstate off ramp in Blair County early Tuesday, officials said.

Officials from the state police Hollidaysburg barracks did not release much information. They told WJAC TV News, Cpl. Courtney Light died from a single gunshot wound. Investigators spent several hours investigating the victim’s unmarked police car at Freedom Junction off of Interstate 99. While the shooting is classified as suspicious, police say they do not suspect foul play and they are not looking for suspects.

The shooting happened just after 7 a.m. It was not immediately known whether the victim was shot by someone else or if he shot himself.

Crews cleared the scene just after 10 a.m. Blair County Coroner Patty Ross said she could not discuss the case but said an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Officials with Blair County 911 said they also could not release any details about the emergency call.

Cpl. Light had been with the Pennsylvania State Police for 17 years. He was based at the Hollidaysburg barracks and worked as an investigator for the Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards. Cpl. Light most recently made the news, during the Joseph Clark murder trial. He was a lead investigator in the kidnapping and stabbing death of Holly Notestine in 2000. The case finally went to trial in Bedford County this year.

[Whiskey Delta]

State Trooper Dies From Gunshot In Blair County

While the shooting is classified as suspicious, police say they do not suspect foul play and they are not looking for suspects.

The shooting happened just after 7 a.m. It was not immediately known whether the victim was shot by someone else or if he shot himself.

That sounds like code for "suicide" to me...

[lionsfury814]

May Cpl Light Rest In Peace...

[HiredGoon]

UPDATE

Veteran state trooper took own life, Blair County coroner says

By The Tribune-Review
Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The veteran state police officer who was found shot to death Tuesday inside his unmarked police vehicle near Altoona took his own life, the Blair County coroner said.

The body of Cpl. Courtney Light, a 17-year-veteran from Bedford, was found by a passing motorist at 6:49 a.m. at the Freedom Junction exit of Interstate 99. Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross said Light died of a single gunshot wound to the neck.

Light, who has two children, worked out of the Hollidaysburg barracks as an investigator for the agency's internal affairs unit, known as the Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards.

"Everybody who knows him said he was a lovely man with a great family," Ross said.

[adymond]

I wonder if his suicide had something to do with his work in the Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards or something he had done before being involved in it and he wanted to keep it quiet.

[shefearsnothing]

What a selfish act. I can't imagine any amount of pain he was in compares to the pain he left behind for his family. Two kids huh? Life insurance does not pay out when you kill yourself. He left them with nothing. (and yes, I am sure they would take having him alive and in their lives over money any day. I'm just saying....on top of the grief of the loss of a loved one they are going to have a tremendous financial burden as well.)

[tdyoung58]

A friend of mine a former CHP officer has a organization just to help with guys like this. That sucks.

http://www.badgeoflife.com/index.php

[HiredGoon]

Really is a shame...he must have been really troubled to do this...especially with kids and all

Since he apparently was on duty at the time...wonder if he will be considered as dying in the line of duty and his name placed on the PSP memorial wall?

Because of suicide though, I would think probably not.

[mercop]

At one time I taught stress and suicide awareness at the academy. Some say that maybe three times as many officers kill themselves every year in comparison to the number killed in the line of duty. Many go unreported as police suicides because the officer may have left the job just before taking his life.

For those that commit suicide it is a logical decision and at the time of doing so and their personality would likely not be recognizable to even those who know them well.

Harford County Sheriff's Office in MD had almost the exact same thing happen in 07' when an investigator took his own life with his service weapon while inside his unmarked take home car in his driveway.

Not sure about the PSP memorial but suicides are not included in www.odmp.org

Very sad. RIP Cpl Light

[Legion_Prime]

What a selfish act. I can't imagine any amount of pain he was in compares to the pain he left behind for his family. Two kids huh? Life insurance does not pay out when you kill yourself. He left them with nothing. (and yes, I am sure they would take having him alive and in their lives over money any day. I'm just saying....on top of the grief of the loss of a loved one they are going to have a tremendous financial burden as well.)

Actually the standard for life insurance is to not pay out for suicide the first two years of the policy to prevent people from trying to get insurance before offing themselves. After that it is payout as normal. So being a 17 year veteran of the PSP his family should be GTG financially, it is little comfort in such a situation though.