N.Y. Trooper Shot in Convict Search Dies

Guardian UK ^ | 3 September AD 2006 | AP

[lightman]

N.Y. Trooper Shot in Convict Search Dies Monday September 4, 2006 12:46 AM CASSADAGA, N.Y. (AP) - One of two specially trained New York state troopers ambushed while searching for an escaped convict died Sunday of his injuries, state police said. Joseph Longobardo was shot in the leg Thursday night while staking out the property of a relative of Ralph ``Bucky'' Phillips. He died Sunday at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo with his wife at his side, State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett said at a news conference Sunday night. The announcement came in the midst of one of the largest manhunts in New York history and as Longobardo's fellow troopers held a candlelight vigil for him and for Donald Baker Jr., the other trooper shot in the woods of Chautauqua County. Baker, who was shot in the back, remained in critical condition in a medically induced coma, police said.

[lightman]

From the Officer Down Memorial Page

Trooper Joseph A. Longobardo
New York State Police
New York
End of Watch: Sunday, September 3, 2006

Biographical Info
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, August 31, 2006
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: At large

Trooper Longobardo succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier when he and another trooper were ambushed while searching for a suspect in Chautauqua County. The suspect was an escapee who had shot and wounded a New York State trooper on June 10, 2006, during a traffic stop.

The suspect was the focus of a manhunt since the initial shooting and had been receiving assistance from friends and family in an effort to evade arrest. Trooper Longobardo and the other trooper were conducting surveillance on the home of a relative of the suspect when the suspect shot them both with a high powered rifle. The wounded trooper was shot in the back, with the bullet penetrating his vest and exiting from his abdomen. Trooper Longobardo suffered a severed artery when he was shot in the leg.

Both troopers were transported to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Trooper Longobardo underwent a leg amputation surgery in an attempt to save his life, however, he succumbed to the wound the day following the surgery.

The suspect remains at large and is the subject of a massive manhunt.

Agency Contact Information
New York State Police
Public Information Office
1220 Washington Ave Bldg 22
Albany, NY 12226

Phone: (518) 319-5100

[ThreePuttinDude]

Thanks for the link, I have a hard time with foreign news
agency's reporting on our local news stories.

[JerseyHighlander]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=45697

I'm pretty sure this is the current situation, NY State has NO death penalty on the books right now, even with a copkiller in death row who will probably do life in prison now.

[mewzilla]

More from this link at WKBW in Buffalo...

State Trooper Dies After Shot in Search for Phillips

We'll keep both men and their families in our prayers.

[xcamel]

Local coverage (a tad late)

http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=190959

Admin: this should be news, not chat.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I don't disagree; I was just presenting the counter argument.

[Lurker]

I've heard that argument, and I pretty much reject it out of hand.

One thing I'm curious about is what did this mutt do that landed him in prison in the first place? Do you have any idea why he seems to have such a sizeable support network?

TIA.

L

[GAB-1955]

Because the Guardian is pretty faithful about running the AP wire; it's easy to get to; and its server is robust.

[Fury]

On the latest incarceration of Phillips, I found this from a local paper:

"Last January, Phillips was out on parole when he was picked up on what Alden jail officials said was a "minor parole" violation. When he arrived at Alden, he found that Lang also was back on a parole violation.

"Bucky wasn't locked up for a 'minor' parole violation," Lang insists. "Bucky was locked up for threatening to kill his own daughter. He owed six years on parole; with that kind of violation, imagine what they'd have given him."

Phillips was facing a possible prison term for "threatening the safety and well being of a family member," said Carol Weaver of the public information office of the Department of Corrections in Albany. She declined to comment on why he was never formally charged before the 90-day deadline ran out on April 6.

Phillips maintained his innocence before the parole board, but it issued no decision on whether to charge him.

"If they don't give you the decision in 90 days, you go free," the official at Alden said. "It's called 'revoke and restore.' "

Phillips allegedly made a threatening remark about his daughter during an argument with his counselor, who then reported him to parole officials. That same day, Jan. 6, he was returned to prison for violation of parole"

Concerning his support network, Phillips, a Native American, was seen on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Niagara County, as well as Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties (both south of Buffalo).

[Lurker]

What a creep. Do you know what he was orginally incarcerated for?

One things for sure, he's pretty much guaranteed that he's going to die in a hail of bullets.

L

[Fury]

He's been in jail on a variety of charges related to burglary, etc for most of his adult life. I could check more tomorrow, when some of the newspaper databases are available for access.

I give him 30 days before someone rats him out. But who knows, he may not even be in the state any more...

[Westlander]

And with massive blood loss, you can throw in brain and lung function as well. Bodies don't function well living on Lactate Ringers.

[a_dem_no_more]

I worked with Joe when he was a Trooper in Troop K. Joe was a dedicated, caring, compassionate and squared away indvidual. Joe was a Marine and an Air National Guard Reservist who served in Afghanistan. This is the fourth Trooper this year we have buried. For those of you who dont know, there have been people up in that area helping this human piece of filth know as "Bucky" evade capture and have even made t-shirts and served "Bucky Burgers" at local resturants. I hope of those people, have a great night of sleep tonight, because there are many of us who knew Joe and Don Baker who wont. Terri and Little Louis, Your Husband and Daddy died a Hero and we will never forget him or you....RIP Joe.

[Peelod]

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=38&did=1066

New York's Death Penalty Law Declared Unconstitutional

[driftless2]

I wonder what the death toll by escaped convicts amounts to? I saw a stat one time that measured it in the thousands of innocent Americans murdered by prison escapees or parolees. For all those anti-death penalty opponents think about that number the next time you scream about the possibility of innocent people on death row getting executed. Think about the ones who should have been executed getting out and killing again.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

And very sadly. Maybe he'll have an accident.