Chung Ho, who pleaded guilty to the shooting death of a Lower Township police officer in 1994 and served 30 years in prison for the crime, has been freed on parole.

In a letter dated Oct. 17 from the state Parole Board to David C. Douglass Jr., the son of slain police officer David C. Douglass Sr., the state informed the son that his father’s killer would be released from prison.

Ho, according to arrest records, had burglarized and set fire to a house on Sunnyside Drive in North Cape May. Douglass was shot after responded to the call there, and he died of his injuries.

Ho, 80, was tracked to his apartment in New York City and eventually pleaded guilty to killing the officer. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in Eastern State Prison.

He was granted parole the first time he appeared before the Parole Board and was scheduled to be released Sept. 23, but in a letter dated Sept. 19, the Douglass family was notified that an administrative hold was put on his release.

The Douglass family was then notified in the Oct. 17 letter that “after serious consideration, the adult panel has determined to affirm the original decision to grant parole to an approved parole plan.”

The letter goes on to say the parole date would be Friday, Oct. 25.

“Just to the Parole Board, for them to walk a day in my family’s shoes and think about how they released a cop killer and trained arsonist back into society,” Douglass told the Herald.

“They have no idea what this did to our family and community, and it’s completely disgraceful to police across the country. To think a killer will walk free one day, when the man or woman that put their lives on the line will never get that chance.

“It’s a shame that they made this decision after a couple hours on the first chance at parole, not to mention let him serve the rest of his life in sunny Florida,” Douglass said, referring to the state for which the parole plan was approved.

Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.