Police Officer Fatally Shot In Northampton County
FREEMANSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A police officer in a small eastern Pennsylvania borough was shot and killed while investigating a report of a disturbance Thursday evening and authorities said a suspect was in custody.
Officer Robert Lasso, 31, a seven-year veteran, was investigating a report of a disturbance in Freemansburg, about 45 miles north of Philadelphia, when he was shot, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said at a news conference in Bethlehem on Thursday night.
A suspect was in custody but had not yet been charged, Morganelli said.
"When a law enforcement officer goes down in the line of duty like this, it affects all of us," Morganelli said. "The law enforcement community is a fraternity. ... It's like a punch in the stomach."
Investigators said they were still sorting through exactly what happened when Lasso, who was married with two young children, went to the residence on a domestic call.
When he got to the home, police said, he was confronted and shot. He was taken to the hospital where he died from the gunshot wound a short time later, according to the coroner. An autopsy is set for Friday.
The Morning Call of Allentown reports that Lasso was the son of borough Councilman Donald Lasso, a longtime member of the fire department and its former chief.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
