Interchange dedicated to fallen PSP Trooper in Juniata Co.

JUNIATA COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — It’s been just over nine months since Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was killed in the line of duty.

In his honor, an interchange in Juniata County was established by Act 17 of 2023, supported by Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata) and Sen. Judy Ward (Blair/Fulton/Huntingdon/Juniata/Mifflin).

On Friday, friends, family and fellow troopers gathered at a dedication ceremony for the Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau, Jr., Memorial Interchange, where U.S. Routes 22/322 meet Arch Rock Road.

“The last thing that Jay said to me was, 'I love you.’ He was murdered 41 minutes later," said Chloe Rougeau, the fallen trooper's wife of six years.

It’s been said before that grief is a journey, not a destination. The interchange symbolizes that journey but also serves as a reminder to the many passing by to carry on with selflessness and most of all love.

“My husband spent the morning of his day off with our dogs. I left early that morning to go out of town that weekend. I hugged him, I kissed him and I told him that I loved him. I never thought that it would be for the last time," said Rougeau.

On June 17, 2023, PSP Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was shot and killed in the summer of 2023 while participating in the search for a gunman near Mifflintown. He wasn't supposed to work that day, but he knew he had to help his fellow brothers and sisters in trouble.

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“His fearless dedication to the people he loved and the community he served must not be forgotten," said the trooper's widow.

A sign stood tall at the barracks where Trooper Rougeau responded to the call on Friday.

After the unveiling, dozens of people fell into a silence as they remembered the day that changed their lives forever.

“We have become one big family," said David Gray, who dedicated a memorial to the trooper on his property. “We’re not going to forget each other.”

READ MORE | Community unveils memorial for fallen trooper

“It’s good to be here as a family – as a state police family – and one with the community to acknowledge his sacrifice," said Colonel Christopher Paris, commissioner of PSP.

Lieutenant James A. Wagner was also shot and left in critical condition.

At the ceremony on Friday, Wagner joined the crowd of people honoring Rougeau, and the many other troopers, who fought so bravely beside him.

READ MORE | PSP Lieutenant Wagner released from Penn State Hospital

“It may seem like a small little token putting a sign up, but any time I’m there, I look. As I drive by, I turn and look for the other sign," said Sergeant Lucas Rankin, the station commander for PSP's Troop G.

“Trooper Rougeau represents the best of us,” Rep. Stambaugh said. “His heroics are remembered by residents of Juniata County and the Commonwealth every day, and the signs we unveiled at the interchange will provide all of us with one more way to reflect on his commitment and sacrifice.”

The new memorial brings together those who knew him best and those who will forever remember his ultimate sacrifice.

“To know Jay was to love him, and I am so proud to be his wife," said Rougeau.

Trooper Rougeau’s name will also appear in the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. during National Police Week in May.