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A former Pennsylvania police officer accused of child rape was killed early Wednesday in Bala Cynwyd during a gunfire exchange with officers who recognized his vehicle, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said. Francis Connell Collier, 38, was fatally shot at 3:48 a.m., according to District Attorney Kevin Steele’s announcement.
The case had recently moved through the courts. A criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Delaware County accused Collier of child rape, endangering the welfare of children and related sex offenses involving two victims who were under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged abuse.
Steele said Lower Merion Township officers on patrol knew Collier was facing criminal charges and saw him returning to his car. When the officers confronted him, Collier fired at them and they returned fire, fatally wounding him, Steele said.
The affidavit supporting the Delaware County complaint included details from an earlier investigation. It said Collier failed a polygraph in early December and, afterward, told a detective that he “never intentionally touched the girls inappropriately.”
Morton police said Collier had been placed on unpaid administrative leave after prosecutors informed the department about the investigation in December, and he resigned on Dec. 19. The department also said it was “deeply troubled by the serious allegations against a former officer,” adding that the conduct described in the charges was “profoundly disturbing” and “wholly inconsistent” with the standards and values expected of officers.
Court officials said Collier did not have a defense lawyer on file. The affidavit also described the victims’ concerns, saying they had seen social media photos of Collier with children and were concerned he was a member of a child abuse task force.