In the winter of 2018, the life of 27-year-old Keith A. Hawley of Union City, Pennsylvania, came to a sudden and violent end. A white male, Hawley was fatally shot on December 19th in an encounter with law enforcement in the parking lot of a Dollar General store on Route 8. Remembered by loved ones for his passion for the outdoors, his work on a farm, and his love for his sons and horses, Hawley's death was the culmination of a planned robbery that took a fatal turn.
The incident
unfolded when undercover troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police arranged to purchase a stolen chainsaw from Hawley. The transaction was intended to be a controlled buy, a standard procedure in undercover operations. However, the situation escalated dramatically when Hawley, instead of completing the sale, brandished a handgun and attempted to rob the undercover officers. In response to the immediate threat, the troopers discharged their weapons, striking Hawley. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Fortunately, no officers were injured during the confrontation.
Following the shooting, the troopers involved were placed on administrative leave, a standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, pending a full investigation into the incident. The Erie County District Attorney's Office conducted a thorough review of the events that transpired in the Dollar General parking lot. Ultimately, the District Attorney concluded that the troopers' use of deadly force was justified under the circumstances.
The investigation also revealed that Hawley was not acting alone. Another individual, Robert S. Hull Jr., was implicated in the conspiracy to rob the undercover troopers. Hull later pleaded guilty to his role in the plot and was subsequently sentenced to serve between four and a half to ten years in state prison. The case brought significant attention to the community as details of the undercover operation and the violent end to a young man's life came to light.
