Retired Pa. Police Officer Facing Charges Kills Self

Richard T. Lewis was reportedly on his way to a state police barracks to turn himself in on rape and sexual assault charges Saturday when he pulled over at a rest area and shot himself in the head.

Feb. 29, 2012

2 min read

DANVILLE, Pa. -- A retired Danville police officer and state constable killed himself Saturday, hours after being charged with forcing a 16-year-old girl to have sex with him approximately 25 times for almost a year.

Richard T. Lewis, 68, of 231 W. Mahoning St., Danville, was charged by state police at Milton with sexually assaulting the Danville teen between March 2011 and Jan. 31. Police said approximately 20 of the assaults occurred at a hunting cabin called the Fourth Gap north of Turbotville in Union County, while the other five incidents took place at Lewis' residence.

Lewis reportedly was on his way to a state police barracks to turn himself in on rape and sexual assault charges Saturday when he pulled over at a rest area along Interstate 80 near the Limestone exit and shot himself in the head, police reported.

He was still alive when found in his pickup truck about 7:30 p.m., but was pronounced dead hours later at Geisinger Medical Center.

Police said Lewis started forcing the girl to have sex after she turned 16, even though she made it clear she didn't want to.

The victim eventually told her mother about the sexual assaults and the mother confronted Lewis, police said. Lewis reportedly admitted to the girl's mother that he forced the victim into intercourse.

Lewis served on the Danville police force for 21 years before retiring in June 2000. He later became a state constable and formerly served as a commander of the Danville American Legion.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service