Pokorny Was Wearing Bullet-Proof Vest

Officials said Cpl. Joseph Pokorny was wearing body armor at the time he was shot.

A bulletproof vest was meant to serve as a last line of defense.

However, it doesn't cover the entire upper body, which is why it couldn't help Pokorny.

Pokorny was shot twice.

The Allegheny County coroner said the wound to his neck would not have killed him, but the wound he took to the chest was fatal.

Deputy Coroner Joe Dominick said, "Much like you or I wearing a vest for a suit, there are areas that are exposed around the chest particularly around the sleeve. And it just happened to come right inside that area that's exposed."

Dominick said if the vest was just a half-inch to the left, it might have saved Pokorny's life.

Previous Stories: December 14, 2005: Trooper Shooting: Search For People, Clues Continues December 13, 2005: Police Question 2 Men, Search For Third December 13, 2005: State Police Vow To Find Trooper's Killers December 12, 2005: State Trooper Found Dead In Parking Lot