More than 1,000 people, including Gov. Gaston Caperton, attended
the funeral of slain Trooper Larry Hacker. Hacker of Harrisville was killed while attempting to investigate a dispute between Ritchie County neighbors. He was the first State police officer killed since 1989....

TROOPER KILLED - West Virginia State Police Trooper Larry G. Hacker was killed late Thursday while responding to a dispute in the WhiteOak community in Ritchie County south of Pullman. Hacker was shot allegedly by Dennis Ferguson, 67, who is accused of holding police and emergency workers at bay from Hacker with gunfire. Hacker is the second trooper killed in action in four years in West Virginia.

TROOPER REMEMBERED
Slain Trooper Larry Hacker's colleagues described the positive impact he had on family, friends, co-workers and his community. "He was just the All-American boy," said Lt. T.M. Snodgrass, the logistics officer at Elkins.

SUSPECT ACTED IRRATIONALLY, SHOT AT PEOPLE - Dennis Ferguson, accused of killing Trooper Larry G. Hacker, acted irrationally before the incident which claimed the young trooper's life, a neighbor said. He drove up and down the road where he lived and talked about someone who shot his cat five years ago, Hale Langford said.

RITCHIE COUNTY SHOCKED -The murder of Larry Hacker shocks the community and flags are flown at half mast in Ritchie County. "It was awful what happened out there. It isn't safe here anymore," Gretchen Chaddocks said.