Man held in trooper shooting had role in murder-for-hire

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ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (AP) — A man accused of shooting a state trooper in Pennsylvania early Friday had served time in prison for his role in a 2005 murder-for-hire plot in Ohio, a district attorney's office said.

Two troopers had observed a disturbance on the sidewalk outside the Franklin Mini-Mart in Aliquippa, state police said. As the troopers approached, a suspect ran into the store and the troopers followed.

According to state police, a struggle ensued and the suspect opened fire, wounding one of the troopers in the leg. He is recovering at a Pittsburgh hospital.

The other trooper, who sustained minor injuries, was able to detain the suspect with the assistance of store patrons, state police said.

The suspect, Damian Bradford, 41, of Pittsburgh, was released from prison last year after serving 17 1/2 years for his role in the murder-for-hire plot of a doctor in Ohio, according to the Beaver County district attorney's office.

Bradford pleaded guilty to charges of interstate stalking and using a firearm during a crime of violence and testified against Dr. Gulam Moonda's wife, Donna. They had met during drug rehabilitation meetings and were having an affair. Prosecutors said money was the motive.

The 69-year-old urologist was gunned down on the Ohio Turnpike south of Cleveland.

A federal appeals court in February upheld Donna Moonda's conviction. She is serving a life sentence for the plot.