The horror of September 12

BREAKING NEWS: Pike District Attorney Ray Tonkin announced Thursday morning that defendant Eric Frein has been transported to Pocono Medical Center but gave no further information. Check back for updates on this story.
By Marilyn Rosenthal
MILFORD — Those who survived the ambush at the state police barracks in Blooming Grove will never forget September 12.
On that night in 2014, Cpl. Byron Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass were shot, Dickson fatally, by a sniper hiding in the woods. On Wednesday, Day 2 of the trial of Eric Matthew Frein, who is accused in the ambush, the story of that night was told by those who were there.
It was just before the overnight shift that starts at 11 p.m. The earlier shift was getting ready to leave, while the late shift — known as "the Midnighters" — was getting ready to start work. Their stories were a patchwork of grief.
Christine Donahue, dispatcherChristine Donahue was one of two dispatchers at the barracks that night. On the witness stand, she wept before she could even say her name.
She saw Dickson trade a joke before leaving at the end of his shift. Then she heard three loud bangs. Troopers on the scene heard something too but weren't sure what it was. They glanced at each other before returning to what they had been doing.
Suddenly, Nicole Palmer, a Midnighter, started banging on the door.
"'Christine, let me in,'" Donahue recalled her saying. "'Dickson has been shot!'"
Donahue returned to her desk and tried to call 911. She saw Trooper Douglass approach the entrance — then —
"Bang!" she said. "Douglass was shot and fell to the ground outside,"
Chaos ensued. Trooper First Class William Fells took command. As troopers on the late shift reported for work, Fells commanded them to get their "long guns" (rifles. With the help of several other troopers, he managed to get a police SUV and ballistic shields.
Three troopers, two with shields, got into the SUV. They didn't know how many shooters were out there. Shots continued to ring out from the woods.
Troopers got Dickson into the SUV, shielding his body and one another.
Meanwhile, Fells shouted to other troopers to get to Douglass, remove his duty belt, and apply pressure to his wounds.
They got Douglass inside, stripped off his shirt, administered first aid, and gave him water. Douglass was in great pain and had trouble breathing. He was about to go into shock.
Troopers from nearby barracks started to arrive. Some started shooting into the woods across the road.
Two ambulances came very quickly. EMTs applied CPR to Dickson, then used a defibrillator.
Troopers asked; "Are you there? Are you there?"
There was no response. Dickson was gone.
Troopers got Douglass to Wallenpaupack High School, where helicopters transported him to Community Medical Center, a trauma center in Scranton.
He was accompanied by his partner, Trooper Brian Seymour, who held his hand and lent moral support.
Tonkin called at least ten troopers who helped that night to testify.
The defenseAttorneys for the defense did not cross-examine any of the witnesses.
Frein sat calmly and took notes. He was not handcuffed. He made a slight wave to his mother and sister, who were in the courtroom.
Forensic troopersForensic Troopers Sean Doran and James Hitchcock spent the afternoon talking about the evidence they collected. They showed 82 slides and some physical evidence, like bullets, casings, and Douglass' shirt.
They also showed photos of Cpl. Dickson after he died, and identified the gunshot wounds on his chest.
His widow, Tiffany Dickson, was in the courtroom. She started to cry.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the date of the 2014 ambush.