WASHINGTON – Deputy U.S. Marshal Christopher David Hill, 45, died in the line of duty at approximately 6:30 a.m. today while serving a warrant on a fugitive in Harrisburg.
Hill was an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) assigned to the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
He was part of a Marshals Service task force executing a warrant for the arrest of Shayla Lynette Towles Pierce, who was wanted by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police for terroristic threat offenses.
According to a news release, the team located Pierce in a residence in the 1800 block of Mulberry Street. While executing the warrant, the team was fired upon by a male in the residence with Pierce. Hill and two local task force officers were struck by gunfire during the assault.
Hill was transported immediately to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Pinnacle Harrisburg hospital where he died. The other officers were treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The male who fired upon the officers died when officers returned fire; Pierce is in custody. The shooting investigation is being handled by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the FBI.
“We are all extremely saddened by the tragic death of our brother, Deputy U.S. Marshal Christopher Hill, this morning in Harrisburg, Pa.
“He was a devoted public servant who dedicated his life to making his community and this nation safer. We will never forget his commitment and courage,” said David J. Anderson, acting deputy director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “The nation lost a hero today.”
Hill joined the USMS in 2006 in Washington, D.C., and transferred to Harrisburg in 2009. He also served with the agency’s Special Operations Group. He was an Army veteran, having served from 1993-96. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.