Pa. trooper still on the job after 4 killings

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Your Postmaster: Colin Deppen
December 31, 2021

Internal investigations, no trace, opioid suit, criminal charges, probable cause, shutdown averted, and New Year's Eve plans. It's Friday. See you in 2022.

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—Christopher Baxter, Editor in Chief

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

A Lebanon County-based Pennsylvania State Police trooper involved in four separate fatal shootings has repeatedly returned to duty after investigations by his own agency, The New York Times reports, raising questions about the oversight system in place for officers who maim or kill.

The Times reports three previous inquiries of shootings by Trooper Jay Splain were conducted by the State Police, some led by officers from Splain's own unit. A fourth is underway after Splain — 2008's “Lebanon County Officer of the Year” — killed an unarmed Jonestown man in his car last month.

The Times calls the sum an "extraordinary tally" for an officer patrolling "largely rural areas with low rates of violent crime," adding that reporters found inconsistencies between the evidence and what the State Police said had happened.

Splain is currently on desk duty and did not respond to requests for comment. A State Police spokesperson reached by the Times defended the agency's ability and willingness to investigate its own but declined to say if disciplinary action has ever been taken against Splain, noting the confidential nature of such records.

THE CONTEXT: Similar concerns about the oversight system in place for State Police who use lethal force were aired after troopers killed a teen in crisis named Christian Hall on an I-80 overpass one year ago.

Spotlight PA and NBC News published unredacted video that shows Hall's hands were raised, a pellet gun in one, when troopers opened fire.

Since then, a state oversight panel recommended independent reviews of such shootings to replace the existing system — one led by local prosecutors who work closely with police. Legislative action is also pending.

NOTABLE / QUOTABLE

"It's a new consumer protection, and we're making it as easy as possible to navigate. We are a one-stop shop."

—Jessica Altman of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department on the Jan. 1 onset of a federal rule barring surprise medical bills from outside a patient's network

LAST CHANCE!

There are just hours left to help us raise a massive $100,000 in support of Spotlight PA's vital journalism. That's enough money to pay for one reporting position for an entire year. Help us end the year strong by making a tax-deductible gift now.

💉 COVID-19 NEWS

» HELP NEEDED: Federal strike teams will soon be dispatched to hospitals in Lackawanna and York Counties, though those areas aren't the only ones asking for help, according to the Post-Gazette.

» TEST QUESTIONS: Officials say that while at-home tests do detect the omicron variant, early data suggests they may be less a dept at it, per the AP.

» LONG WAITS: Penn State Health is asking the public not to come to its emergency rooms seeking routine COVID-19 tests, PennLive reports.

» NO INFO: The state Department of Health is fighting LNP's request to make coronavirus death data by ZIP code public.

» THE LATEST: Despite the surge, a top CDC official says hospitalizations remain "comparatively low," Reuters reports.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine, use the federal government's online tool, call 1-800-232-0233, or text your zip code to 438829 (GETVAX).

📅 UPCOMING EVENTS

» MAPPING POWER: Join us Thursday, Jan. 6 at noon EST for a free panel on the proposed state House and Senate maps, how they could shift political power, and their potential impact on Pennsylvanians. Register for the event here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org.

📷 POST IT

The after-Christmas snow in eastern Clearfield County. Thanks, Don H.! Send us your gems, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.

DAILY RUNDOWN

'NOT A TRACE': Investigating the placement of sex offenders in nursing, personal care, and assisted-living homes, TribLIVE found almost no state-level accounting and significant hurdles for inquiring individuals without a central registry of paroled offenders who live in such facilities.

OPIOID DEAL: Some 50 Pennsylvania counties have agreed to join a historic opioid settlement touted by AG Josh Shapiro as a means of bringing more than $1 billion to Pennsylvania, per the Daily Item. But two notable holdouts are fighting against the deal as too little, too late.

CRIMINAL CASE: Darby Township Commissioner Marvin Smith has been arrested on charges he lured a boy into his car and sexually assaulted the child, allegations reported to police in 2019. The township doesn't plan to take any action against Smith, a Democrat, without a conviction.

WEED LAWS: Pennsylvania's Supreme Court says the smell of marijuana alone is not enough justification for a vehicle search, per the AP, while a Philadelphia ordinance banning pre-employment drug screenings for THC, the primary active ingredient in cannabis, is set to take effect on Jan. 1.

NO SHUTDOWN: A government shutdown that would have halted all but emergency operations in York has been avoided, with council members overriding the mayor's veto of their 2022 budget amid a standoff over its use of COVID-19 relief dollars, or lack thereof, the Dispatch reports.

IN OTHER NEWS

GRINCH STOLE GRISWOLD: Officials in Berwick are on the lookout for the grinch (or grinches) who took a mannequin dressed as Clark Griswold from the borough's Christmas Boulevard. "We have a very aggressive police department and this is high on their radar, trust me," the mayor warned.

IT'S ON: The Mummers parade scheduled for Jan. 1 in Philadelphia will go on (unless it rains). Unfamiliar with the tradition and the various controversies it has caused? Billy Penn has you covered.

TASTY TRADITION: It's almost New Year's Day, which means it's almost time to eat pork and sauerkraut to ensure good luck in 2022. If one of your resolutions is "eat less meat," consider this vegan alternative.

GET OUT: Maybe you're resolved to spend more time outdoors next year? Many state parks are participating in a New Year's Day tradition called First Day Hikes. Here's a list of participating trails.

STAY HOME: Or perhaps your intentions involve the couch and a homemade cocktail? On New Year's Eve, PBS is airing a concert filmed outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia that was hosted by Chita Rivera.

THE SCRAMBLER

Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag.

N N A Z A I E D U L

Yesterday's answer: Abrogate

Congrats to our daily winners: Susan F., Beth T., Mike B., Becky C., Neal W., Suzanne O., Michelle T., Susan N.-Z., Kim C., Susan D., Kimberly S., Betty W., Don H., Jay H., Al M., James B., Alan V., Elaine C., Irene R., Myles M., Craig W., John N., Joel S., Karen W., Marty M., Bill S., Doris T., Scott R., George S., Craig E., and David W.

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Investigative Journalism for Pennsylvania

Pa. trooper still on the job after 4 killings

Plus, York narrowly avoids a government shutdown.