Spirit Of Fallen Officer Brad Fox Lives On In Montco 12 Years Later

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA — Law enforcement and community members around the greater Montgomery County area came together on Friday to commemorate Officer Brad Fox, the Plymouth Township K-9 officer who gave his life in the line of duty 12 years ago.

The incident ultimately spurred the passage of state legislation instituting mandatory minimum sentencing for those convicted of making straw firearm purchases.

"Brad was taken from us as he placed himself in harm's way, safeguarding the residents he was entrusted to protect," Plymouth chief of police John C. Myrsiades said in a statement. "We are forever indebted to him for his selfless act of bravery, and we continue to preserve his memory in our hearts evermore...I ask for a moment of silence in his remembrance."

A memorial to Fox along the Schuylkill River Trail is adorned with flowers and well wishes throughout the year.

Fox was 34 and a seven-year veteran of the force, serving with his K9 unit, when he responded to the call at around 6 p.m.

He pursued the suspect to the vicinity of Conshohocken Road and Ernest Station Road, near the Schuylkill River Trail, when the suspect shot him in the head and killed him. Fox' canine partner, Nick, was shot and wounded, but survived. The suspect was later killed.

In 2017, five years after his death, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a bill mandating a minimum five-year prison sentence for those convicted of making repeated straw purchases. It was signed into law by then-Gov. Tom Corbett in October of that year.

Fox, a Warminster native and graduate of William Tennent High School, joined the Marine Corps in 1999 and was honorably discharged as a Staff Sgt. in 2009 after 10 years of service and two tours in Iraq.

Fox was remembered not just as an exemplary officer, Marine, and public servant, but as a devoted and loving father and husband. Hundreds packed the church to capacity at his funeral service, and hundreds more packed into an adjoining lot to pay their respects.

"Your children will forever know the type of man you were," Fox's widow, Lynsay, wrote in a note that was read at his service. "They will always know who their Daddy is, and how amazing you were as a husband, father, friend, son, brother, Marine, and police officer. We all know your legacy will carry on through your children."

And as the flowered memorial on the Schuylkill River Trail illustrates years later, Fox, and the lessons he embodied in the way he chose to live his life, will never be forgotten.

A fund has been set up for Fox's family. Donations can be made to the Fox's Children's Fund, C/O Continental Bank, 661 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA, 19462. To learn more about Fox and to share memories, see here.