David Duprey/Associated Press
New York State police searched vehicles in Fredonia, N.Y., on Thursday evening.
Posted on 08/31/2006 7:22:26 PM PDT by Dan Nunn
A nursing supervisor at a western New York hospital has confirmed to the Associated Press that two state troopers have been shot in Chautauqua County.
AP reports that Sheryl Polito, nursing supervisor at Brooks Memorial Hospital near Fredonia, said one of the troopers had been brought to Brooks before being flown to Erie County Medical Center and that another trooper was taken to Hamot Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
AP also reports that a nursing supervisor at Erie County Medical Center, who declined to give her name, confirmed a state trooper was in critical condition. She said she did not expect his condition to change tonight.
(Excerpt) Read more at wgrz.com ...
I hope they get that scum bag once and for all. I have a feeling that this incident does not bode well for gun ownership in NY State. Particularly with the likely election of the likes of Spitzer and Cuomo.
Maybe one of the southern tier NY gun owners will get to exercise his 2nd Ammendment rights thus saving the taxpayers the expense of a trial.
Put a 250,000 $ bounty on his head and it wouldn't take more than a month.
Unbelievably this guy has become something of a folk hero. I think it would be sweet justice if he goes down in a hail of lead from the NYSP. Perhaps if it is a private citizen with a CC permit that takes him out, NY may reconsider some of their restrictive gun laws.
What's unbelievable? Small rural communities that feel their being short-shrifted by an over-powering state. Local boy defies authority, escapes and kills agents of said state. State responds ham-handedly. The only thing missing is robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Hopefully the ending of this story-book tale ends with him rotting in the dungeon or bleeding on the ground if the gallows are out of the question.
Now the WKBW article is pulled and they're only reporting that two troopers have been shot...
AP article from 4:23 AM:
FREDONIA, N.Y. (AP) - Two New York state troopers were in critical condition Friday after being shot with what investigators believe was a high-powered rifle fired by an escaped convict.
Joseph Longobardo, 32, and Donald Baker Jr., 38, were shot Thursday evening in Chautauqua County in western New York, State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett said. Escaped convict Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is the prime suspect in the shootings, he said.
"It's clear to me the troopers were ambushed," Bennett said.
One trooper was shot in the back with a bullet that pierced his bullet-resistant vest and exited through his abdomen, Bennett said. The other was shot in the thigh and suffered massive blood loss due to a severed artery, he said.
Neither trooper saw Phillips before they were shot.
Bennett, who flew from Albany to the state police barracks in Fredonia late Thursday, ordered 75 additional troopers to help with the manhunt for Phillips around western New York.
Phillips, 44, escaped on April 2 from the Erie County jail, where he was sent for violating parole on a burglary conviction, police said.
He is wanted in the June 10 shooting of a state trooper near Elmira. Trooper Sean Brown survived after being shot in the abdomen as he approached a stolen car believed to be driven by Phillips.
Since his escape, Phillips has evaded police and helped himself to food, clothes and guns from unattended homes and hunting cabins in western New York.
He is believed to have stolen about 15 cars since his escape, police said.
Last weekend, Phillips was suspected of stealing several weapons from a gun shop and a nearby car, state police said.
Police believe Phillips has been traveling back and forth between Philadelphia and New York state, Bennett said.
A $50,000 reward offered for information leading to Phillips' arrest and conviction has so far not stopped friends and family members from helping him avoid capture, police said.
Absolutely untrue.
This happened down in the Southern Tier and also they arrested some folks in Niagara County as well. One wonders if there will be any leniency by the Judge, now with two more Troopers shot.
I didn't make the "small, rural communities" remark.
"Put a 250,000 $ bounty on his head and it wouldn't take more than a month."
You got that right!
How so?
No problem. Welcome to Free Republic.
I can't post the Buffalo News articles, but I can refer you an article dated of June 26, 2006, titled "Trooper, dragged by ATV, kills driver Police deny suspect mistaken for fugitive".
The State Police maintain that this was a routine traffic stop, and it's my understanding that the man's face was visible, which would have been a good indication that it was not Phillips.
There is also an article on July 11, 2006 titled "Family of slain ATV driver seeks answers State Police may face lawsuit for Chautauqua man's shooting death".
Sorry for being a little short on my first post - I'm more than a bit upset that Phillips is still on the loose - and that people helped him elude capture.
Western NY and LEO ping...
Disclaimer: Get Bucky. He's giving us a bad name.
reward up to $225K now.
report says "the officers were watching his ex-girlfriends house". so, that means she was hiding him?
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