Police Barracks Shooting

State troopers escort Eric Matthew Frein from the Blooming Grove barracks early Friday Oct. 31. Frein, accused of opening fire on the barracks Sept. 12, killing state police Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II and critically wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass, was arrested Thursday night after a 48-day manhunt in the Pike and Monroe County woods.

(Jason Farmer | The Scranton Times & Tribune | AP photo )

HAWLEY, Pa. -- Authorities plan to seek seek the death penalty for Eric Frein, the suspect in the lethal shooting of a Pennsylvania state trooper last month who was captured after an intensive seven-week search in the dense woods of the Pocono region.

“Now it comes time to find answers on behalf of the families of the fallen,” said Pike County District Attorney Raymond Tonkin, who spoke at a press conference hours after the 31-year-old fugitive was captured in a field by U.S. Marshals.

Officials said Frein was holed up in an abandoned airplane hangar and had a store of weapons, including a sniper rifle and explosives, but had no firearms on his person when authorities arrested him at 6 p.m. Frein went peacefully, said State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan.

Frein was placed into custody clasped in the handcuffs of Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, who was shot and killed Sept. 12 in an ambush at the state police barracks in Blooming Grove, not far from where Frein was holed up. He was transported in Dickson’s cruiser, Noonan also said.

Trooper Alex Douglass was injured in the same attack.

Following the attack, “thousands” of law enforcement officials searched the woods for Frein, who has been described by officials as a survivalist and skilled marksman. Aside from a small cut to the nose he reportedly sustained sometime before his arrest early Thursday evening, Frein appeared to be in good condition after evading capture for nearly two months.

“He looked healthy, healthier than I would have expected,” said Noonan, who was also joined at the press conference by Gov. Tom Corbett.

Officials thanked members of the public both for their assistance and their patience. There were several reported sightings of Frein over the last several weeks, forcing residents to shelter in place as police attempted to corner Frein, who had been placed on the F.B.I.’s Ten Most Wanted List. Large sections of woods had to be encircled and carefully searched to ensure the public’s safety, officials said.

“The problem was you could clear an area and he could move back in,” Noonan said, adding that “Eric Frein had one mission and that was to attack law enforcement.”

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.