A Pennsylvania state trooper may have accidentally shot and killed his pregnant wife, resulting in the tragic death of both mother and baby. An investigation into the exact cause of death in this incident is ongoing.
Montgomery County prosecutor Kevin Steele explained that “She was shot and killed. She was pregnant at the time. The baby did not survive.” At the time, he also said that “There is some indication at this point that it was an accidental discharge of the gun. But that’s under investigation at this point. I can’t go any further than that.”
The horrific incident occurred in the couple’s home in East Norriton, Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon. Detectives from several area law enforcement agencies are investigating, and autopsy results are expected to be released tomorrow. Two other young children in the home were unharmed and are being cared for by relatives.
According to police,”the officer pulled the trigger while taking apart his.45-caliber handgun for cleaning but did not realize the gun was loaded, Philly.com reported.
After the gun went off, he called 911 immediately. First responders rushed the woman to a local hospital where she was tragically pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
An emergency cesarean procedure for the baby sadly turned out to be unsuccessful. “The baby never had its own breathing or heartbeat,” the coroner explained.
According to the prosecutor, the weapon in question was not the officer’s service revolver. Added the prosecutor, “He is a off-duty state trooper and was cooperative with us throughout this investigation.”
The trooper is a seven-year veteran of the state police, and his deceased wife, 34, who was 22-weeks pregnant, formerly worked as a civilian dispatcher for the state police.
[image credit: RiverRatt3 ]
Watch a local news report about the accidental shooting death of the pregnant woman identified in multiple media accounts as JoAnne Miller:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGEtu-w7SLA
