At funeral, Gov. Shapiro praises fallen Trooper Rougeau as a hero with 'a servant's heart'

ERIE, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Trooper Jacques "Jay" F. Rougeau Jr. was remembered on Tuesday as a humble and dedicated professional who lost his life serving his community.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, speaking at the the 29-year-old Rougeau's funeral at a packed Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, praised Rougeau as a hero who rushed into danger when he was killed in an ambush on June 17 in Juniata County in central Pennsylvania.

"He lived a life of purpose," Shapiro said. "A dedicated trooper, a public servant, Jay Rougeau was a warm, positive presence in every room. His smile and his love for life were obvious to everyone who met him.

"In every part of his life, Jay wanted to give back, to serve others. He had a servant's heart. He was the kind of public servant who lived every day putting others before himself, whether he was in uniform or not."

Rougeau, a native of Corry in southern Erie County and a state trooper since 2021, had the day off on June 17, Shapiro said. But after hearing that a gunman had attacked the state police barracks for Troop G in Lewistown, where Rougeau was stationed, he went into work to help, Shapiro said.

"When he heard his fellow troopers and his community were under attack, Jay activated himself," Shapiro said. "He raced to the station, put on his gear and he got in a patrol car to protect his community.

"Jay's life was stolen from us because he drove toward danger. We should celebrate his heroism."

Rougeau was ambushed and killed by a gunshot through the windshield of his patrol car as he drove down a road in nearby Walker Township.

Rougeau is the 104th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to be killed in the line of duty. He was living in Mifflintown, Juniata County.

Another state trooper, Lt. James Wagner, was wounded in a separate encounter with the same shooter in Juniata County. The suspect, Brandon Stine, 38, was killed in an exchange of gunfire after the shootings, according to state police.

'I absolutely loved this kid'

Other speakers at the hourlong funeral service also recalled Rougeau fondly.

Sgt. Jonathan Colarusso met Rougeau in early 2021, not long after Rougeau finished his field training with the 51 graduates of the 160th cadet class of the Pennsylvania State Police. He was one of six cadets first assigned to Troop J in York. He was assigned to Troop G in Lewistown in March 2023.

Colarusso's colleagues had already identified Rougeau as a top performer and an on-the-rise rookie trooper.

Rougeau, he thought, was "fit, confident and had a million-dollar smile."

"He just looked like the type of person you could approach and have a conversation with," Colarusso said.

Colarusso, who is a member of the criminal investigative unit of Troop J, would soon form a strong bond with Rougeau over police work and their friendly rivalry over college football — Colarusso, a Pitt Panther fan, and Rougeau a diehard Penn State Nittany Lions fan.

Though he was Rougeau's superior, Colarusso quickly developed respect and admiration for the new member of Troop J's patrol division. Rougeau, he said, became a "galvanizing force for his platoon and the station as a whole."

Near the end of his remarks, Colarusso exhaled.

"I absolutely loved this kid," he said.

Sgt. Lucas Rankin hadn't known Rougeau long. It was only three months before his death that Rougeau transferred to Rankin's Troop G in Lewistown. Rougeau, though, quickly established himself on his first weekend on duty, making multiple DUI arrests. Rougeau, as Rankin and others before him had said, was never one to brag about his accomplishments. In fact, he barely spoke of the arrests he made or cases he closed.

He was "extremely humble," Rankin said, so much so that corporals would nickname Rougeau a "stealth fighter" for the way in which he conducted himself.

Rankin's voice grew unsteady as he delivered his final words to his fallen colleague: "Brother, you will never ever be forgotten," he said, just before lifting his felt campaign hat from the podium, placing it on his head and tucking the strap firmly under his chin as his jaw continued to quiver.

'He ran toward gunfire'

For as much as Rougeau was hailed as a model law enforcement officer and hero who gave his life in service of others, he was also remembered as a loving husband to his high school sweetheart.

Rougeau and his future wife, Chloe, met when they were 5, when she was Chloe Miller. They would acknowledge their admiration for each other a decade later as teens. The Rev. Brian Eiss, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Corry, who was the celebrant at Rougeau's funeral Tuesday, wed the couple in 2017.

"I'm really not sure how to exist in a world without him," Chloe Rougeau said of the man she called her soulmate. "He's my entire world. If I could speak with Jay today, I would say 'I love the way you look at me. I love the way you love me. I love the way you smile, and I love the way you laugh.'"

Rougeau's laugh was infectious, she said. Even when he would tell a corny joke, "You would just laugh hearing his laughter," she said. "Nobody I know has the type of infectious joy that Jay had. He gave it like a gift to everyone he met with that laughter, with his million-dollar smile.

"He believed that everyone deserves kindness," she said. "He treated everyone as human. When Jay became a Pennsylvania state trooper, he became all he ever wanted to be. He believed that in that role he could make ongoing, positive change, and he worked toward that goal every single day."

Chloe Rougeau called him a "protector and hero" who "ran toward gunfire on his day off."

Recalling some of the poor seasons of Penn State football that the couple endured as season-ticket holders, she noted that she and Jay had a saying: Tough times don't last, but tough teams do.

"Jay has always been my favorite teammate," she said. "I love him more than I can ever hope to describe. I'm angry and I'm broken that I have to stand in front of you and say these things today. But he deserves more honor and love than we could ever hope to give him. I love you, Jay. Thank you for being my everything.

"I knew that you would change the world, Jay Rougeau," Chloe Rougeau said. "I just never imagined that it would be like this."

Rougeau's body was flown to the Corry-Lawrence Airport on June 19. A funeral procession brought his body to the Bayfront Convention Center on Monday, when public viewing occurred.

Following the funeral, the procession traveled from the Bayfront Convention Center to Corry. There will be a private graveside ceremony in Mifflintown at a later date.

Commonwealth Media Services livestreamed the service from the Bayfront Convention Center at pacast.com/live/psp. The news media was not permitted on the premises during the public viewing and funeral.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

Matthew Rink can be reached at mrink@timesnews.com or on Twitter at @ETNRink.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Shapiro lauds fallen Trooper Rougeau as hero with 'a servant's heart'