Pennsylvania State trooper will not face charges after shooting and killing man during traffic stop

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said no charges will be filed against the Pennsylvania State Police trooper who shot and killed a 25-year-old man during a traffic stop in May.

Investigators determined Dennis Fonoimoana was armed with a stolen gun when he was a passenger in a car pulled over in Mount Pleasant Township on May 21, after they said he stole a chainsaw from Rural King.

District Attorney Jason Walsh said Fonoimoana refused to show his hands during the traffic stop following the robbery, but once he did, he was holding a gun. Troopers yelled for him to drop it, and when he did not, the trooper shot him.

“The trooper then begins to scream repeatedly, ‘Drop the gun, drop the gun.’ The actor does not drop the gun and turns toward the trooper. The trooper then fires his weapon,” Walsh said. “The circumstances left him with no alternative than to discharge his service weapon to stop the threat to his life.”

Fonoimoana had multiple warrants out for his arrest at the time of the incident.

“He was shot a total of five times. Postmortem toxicology, as usual, was performed, and we found multiple compounds in his system,” said S. Timothy Warco, Washington County coroner.

Walsh said the results of their investigation were corroborated by dashcam footage, a witness and the driver of the car.

The trooper who was put on administrative leave will soon resume his normal duties, according to state police.

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