Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined Pa. State Police Colonel Christopher Paris on Today Show on Thursday morning while the officials take something of a victory lap following the successful recapture of a convicted murderer who had escaped prison in Chester County.
During a segment with Today Show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, Shapiro and Paris discussed the hunt and capture of convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who led police on a zig-zagging path through Chester County for two weeks after he escaped prison at the end of August.
"I'm incredibly proud of the Pennsylvania State Police and I'm incredibly grateful to the good people of Chester County who, every single day remained vigilant, who worked hard to make sure we were able to capture this suspect without incident. There was no loss of life. There was no threat in the community, thank God. And, ultimately, at the end of the day, we found ourselves in the position of seeing the best of law enforcement."
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He said that partnerships and cooperation between law enforcement agencies at state, local and federal levels enabled officials to recapture Cavalcante without a single shot being fired.
The fact that Cavalcante was armed with a .22-caliber rifle, equipped with a scope and flashlight, was a top concern for law enforcement officials, noted Paris.
"He had a weapon. It was a weapon that could have certainly hurt law enforcement. But, more importantly than that, it could have hurt members of the public," Paris said. "So, a desperate person on the run with nothing to lose, facing life without parole, that was out chief concern. We wanted to find him wherever we could."
Shapiro agreed, noting that the gun Cavalcante had was capable of piercing police-issued bulletproof vests. And, Paris argued Cavalcante was 'desperate."
"We know that he was desperate. We knew that he was where we were looking. And, we just needed to press the incident through to its conclusion," noted Paris.
During the morning interview, both men discussed a relatively controversial photo opportunity that law enforcement set up shortly after Cavalcante's apprehension, agreeing that they didn't have much issue with it.
"I'm proud of them and they are proud of their work," said Shapiro.
Paris noted that, though Cavalcante had suffered minor injuries during his apprehension, the law enforcement officials involved in the arrest showed "professional restraint" when the manhunt came to a conclusion.
"The professional restraint that they showed, and being able to take him alive in relatively good health. We are very proud of that professionalism," said Paris.
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