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The pews of Epiphany of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church in Plymouth Meeting were filled with brothers and sisters in blue along with family and friends.
Officer Fox, a seven year veteran of the Plymouth Township Police Department, lost his life in the line of duty last Thursday, one day before his 35th birthday.
His family arrived by police escort as officers lined the streets in salute. His widow, Lynsey, held their young daughter as she walked into the church, pregnant with the couple's second child.
Following the funeral Fox, who served two tours of duty in Iraq as a United States Marine, will be laid to rest at the Washington Crossing Veterans Cemetery in Newtown at approximately 2:30 p.m. with full military honors.
For the first public viewing on Tuesday night, people stood in line for hours in the pouring rain so they could pay their respects to Officer Fox and his family.
The notes of the bagpipe rang out across a silent crowd as the casket of Plymouth Township Officer Bradley Fox was carried into Epiphany of our Lord yesterday afternoon. Law enforcement from across the region lined the streets while wife Lynsey their young daughter. Officer Fox's K-9 partner Nick was at her side ahead of the first public viewing.
Debbie Plunkett of Willow Grove tells us, "It's just so heartbreaking. He was so young. And this was so senseless."
Officer Fox was killed by Andrew Thomas. Police say Fox was looking for Thomas, who drove down the wrong lane past an accident scene in a stolen SUV. Investigators say Thomas ambushed Fox, firing four shots from a hidden elevated position along the Schuylkill River Trail. His K-9 partner Nick was wounded but will recover.
Investigators say Thomas then turned the gun on himself. While Thomas had only one prior arrest for a minor theft, he had been the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fiancee, Maria Procopio, in 1999.
A number of tributes and vigils for Fox have been held in the days since his death. Most recently, on Monday night, hundreds of bikers rode from the Police Academy in Northeast Philadelphia to the Plymouth Township Police Department in his honor.
On Tuesday, Officer Fox's widow and other family members got a chance to see his patrol car, which was adorned with black bunting. At one point, she tenderly kissed the patrol car. Understandably, officials say, she and the rest of Fox's family are going through a very tough time.
A fund has been set up for Officer Fox's family and donations can be made to :
Fox Children's Fund
C/O Continental Bank
661 W. Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
