By Snejana Farberov PUBLISHED: 19:29 EST, 14 September 2012 | UPDATED: 21:11 EST, 14 September 2012 A police officer and former U.S. Marine who survived two tours of duty in Iraq was gunned down on Thursday while pursuing a hit-and-run driver in Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania, a day before his 35th birthday. According to officials, Brad Fox was running down a suspect, identified as 44-year-old Andrew Charles Thomas, following a car accident when he was shot in the head - becoming the first officer from his department to be killed in the line of duty. Thomas was later found dead after apparently turning the gun on himself, according to police.
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Officer Brad Fox was shot in the head one day before his 35th birthday
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Served two tours of duty in Iraq before joining the police force
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Suspected killer Andrew Charles Thomas took his own life
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Thomas was questioned by police in the 1999 disappearance of his fiancée
@placeholder and his fellow officers followed the SUV as it slammed into another vehicle and drove off, according to investigators.