New Details In Trooper Murder

The slaying of state police Cpl. Joseph Pokorny sparked a massive manhunt around Pittsburgh.

Police have arrested a suspect, and there are new details about the case against him.

Police said Leslie Mollett, 31, was the person who opened fire on Pokorny Monday morning.

Officers quickly zeroed in on Mollett, raiding a Southside apartment building.

On Wednesday night, officers charged Mollett.

He was arraigned overnight.

A court document provided answers to many questions about what happened in the parking lot of a Carnegie hotel.

According to state police, those answers were provided by the alleged gunman.

According to court documents filed at arraignment, Mollett, a convicted felon and recent prison parolee, admitted he was the driver of the black sedan.

Mollett allegedly admitted to officials to speeding and then seeing the flashing lights of a marked patrol car traveling behind him on Interstate 376, with Pokorny in pursuit, eventually crashing the car against a curb at the entrance to the hotel.

Mollett reportedly admitted to exiting the vehicle and then to a one-on-one struggle with Pokorny, but Mollett did not confess to murder.

Mollett stated a physical struggle ensued with the officer and that the officer had scratched him on the left eyelid and pulled his jacket over his head during the encounter.

Mollett stated he fled the scene alone in the Mercury Sable, leaving his jacket and two passengers behind.

Police alleged scratches were clearly visible when Mollett was taken into custody on the Southside within a few hours of the slaying.

According to police, Mollett acknowledged to having a gun.

Police said that when they processed the scene, they found a fully loaded Glock handgun that had been reported stolen, lying in shrubbery near the fallen officer's patrol car.

Pokorny's department-issued Beretta handgun was nowhere in sight, although casings bearing a strong resemblance to PSP ammunition were on the ground.

When police arrived, they found sure signs of a deadly struggle.

Pokorny's handcuffs, pepper spray, and a collapsible baton were found.

The officer was shot in the chest and in the back of the head.

Police wanted to talk to Jack Woods about the trooper's death before Mollett was arrested.

Woods was arrested Wednesday, shortly before Leslie Mollet was charged.

Police have not charged Woods in connection with the fatal traffic stop.

Officials said there were witnesses to the Pokorny's death.

According to the court document filed at Thursday morning's arraignment of Mollett, someone saw two black males running away from a black four-door vehicle.

A second witness told police they heard someone shout: "Get on the ground," then later, two gunshots.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Mollett's two passengers, who police have yet to publicly identify but were questioned extensively during the three-day investigation, were ready to comply when Pokorny approached the black Mercury Sable and ordered them all to show their hands and for Mollett to place his hands on the car.

Passenger two told officials that Mollett became physically combative causing the Pokorny to use pepper spray on Mollett.

Mollett then grabbed the officer's arm and causing the pepper spray to discharge erratically.

Both passengers told police at that point they ran away but heard multiple gunshots as they fled.

One of Mollett's passengers told police that a few minutes they got a cell phone call from Mollet stating, "The officer got three to the head."

Previous Stories: December 15, 2005: Arrest Made In Trooper's Death December 14, 2005: Pa. Trooper Murder Felt In Steelers Locker Room December 14, 2005: 2 Men Released In Trooper's Death Investigation December 14, 2005: Trooper Shooting: Search For People, Clues Continues December 14, 2005: People Named In Trooper Shooting Have Criminal Records December 14, 2005: Pokorny Was Wearing Bullet-Proof Vest December 13, 2005: Police Question 2 Men, Search For Third December 13, 2005: State Police Vow To Find Trooper's Killers December 13, 2005: Fund Established For Slain Trooper's Kids December 12, 2005: State Trooper Found Dead In Parking Lot