U.S. Marshal Christopher Hill ‘died a hero’ after shooting in Harrisburg

(Harrisburg) — The name of the Deputy U.S. Marshal killed in the line of duty this morning in Harrisburg has been released.

45-year-old Christopher David Hill of York County was shot and killed while serving a warrant atapproximately 6:30 a.m.

The 11-year-veteran 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.

Who was Christopher Hill?

Hill, an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals, worked in at the U.S. Capitol before being transferred to Harrisburg in 2009. During the Eric Frein manhunt, Hill was chosen to lead a large group who conducted woodland searches for Frein. 

Hill was an Army veteran who served from 1993-1996. He joined the Marshals Service in 2006 in Washington, D.C., and transferred to Harrisburg in 2009. He also served with the agency’s Special Operations Group. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Hill received the distinguished group award for significant contributions in Afghanistan. 

“Christopher Hill died a hero today,” Dave Freed, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District, said at a news conference in Harrisburg. “We will honor his memory with his brothers and sisters in law enforcement. We will provide answers to Deputy Marshall Hill’s family.”

David J. Anderson, Acting Deputy Director for the U.S. Marshals Service, said “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. The nation lost a hero today.”

Injured York City Police Officer identified 

In the incident, York City Police officer Kyle Pitts was also injured. 

Pitts, a member of the fugitive task force, is being treated at Hershey Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries. He was assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force, according to a York news release. 

He is the father of three children and has been a part of the York City Police Department for 10 years. 

More information on the U.S. Marshals

Established in 1789, the federal US Marshals service has several major tasks, including fugitive apprehension, prisoner transport, and witness security.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force covers the middle district of the state, and is comprised of 22 state, county and local police agencies, including the York City Police Department, the York County Sheriff’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police.

In December, task force arrested Dante Levon Brown, described as an “armed and dangerous” homicide suspect in York. York City Police Lt. Matt Leitzel praised the group’s efforts.

“I can tell you that we have a U.S. Marshals Task Force that works here in the city, and, for big cases like this, we use them,” he said. He said sometimes police will “have them work their magic, and that’s what they did this morning. They’ve been working on it since last night.”

This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.