Posted on 09/08/2006 6:39:24 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Fugitive Surrenders in NY State Manhunt By CAROLYN THOMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARROLL, N.Y. (AP) - A fugitive suspected of fatally shooting a New York state trooper and wounding two others while on the run for more than five months surrendered to police who had cornered him in a cornfield just over the Pennsylvania state line on Friday night.
Ralph "Bucky" Phillips walked out with his hands up, ending the state's largest manhunt for the 44-year-old career thief who broke out of a Buffalo-area jail in April, New York State Police Investigator Gary Colon said.
The arrest capped a frantic day of searching that started with troopers firing at Phillips as he dodged authorities in a wooded area.
For hours, police had methodically moved closer to Phillips. Just before nightfall, 25 SWAT officers and 12 dogs swept through a cornfield where he was thought to be hiding. He gave himself up around 8 p.m., police said.
Phillips, who had threatened "suicide by cop" and once promised to "splatter pig meat all over Chautauqua County," was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.
Since his escape, he has twisted and turned his way throughout southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, eluding a huge manhunt, stealing cars, burglarizing homes and camps and relying on a network of acquaintances to stay free, police said. He may have stolen 41 guns from a New York gun shop, authorities said.
A U.S. Marshals Service task force joined the investigation Wednesday and had about 30 investigators on the ground, commanding officer Lenny DePaul said.
He said the agencies were proceeding deliberately to prevent any accidents: "Everybody's in the woods and wearing different uniforms and everything else, and this guy is shooting back. It doesn't make it any easier for us."
Friday's search started shortly before 2 a.m. in Pennsylvania when a police officer tried to pull over a stolen car. After a short chase, the car crashed and the driver, identified by police as Phillips, fled into the woods.
A half-hour later, Phillips stole a second car and drove back into New York, where troopers located him and launched a second chase, authorities said.
Phillips jumped out of the moving car and ducked into woods, zigzagging back and forth between New York and Pennsylvania, authorities said. Police dogs tracked his scent for several hours until he was spotted by two troopers, Bennett said.
As troopers approached, Phillips wheeled around with a pistol in his hand but did not fire, police said. One of the troopers fired an undisclosed number of shots as Phillips disappeared into the thick woods.
Phillips became the subject of a huge search after allegedly shooting a state trooper near Elmira in June. The trooper survived.
Then, authorities said, he ambushed and shot two New York state troopers on Aug. 31 as they staked out the home of Phillips' former girlfriend. One trooper died on Sunday; the other was in critical condition.
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Associated Press writers Chris Carola in Albany, and Mike Cowden and Mark Scolforo in Pennsylvania contributed to this report.
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Can not wait to hear his lawyers spin.
Die you scumbag!
Monday morning is a good day to die?
Is there any reason why not?
Well, that's the second best possible outcome.
Best outcome would have been for him to be found with his own gun in his mouth.
He's enroute to lock up and will be in front of the judge at 10 Am.
Then he will be transported to Chemung county to be arrained there.
I have been listening to this all day long.
If he was taken in NY, I think he would have been killed.
God Bless the family of the tropper that was killed.
"Drop your hands, Bucky..."
BOOM!
"Clean-up on aisle 13, please!"
There are all sorts of reasons why.
It's noteworthy that it took over 1,000 cops to catch this one man.
I thought he wanted to go out “suicide by cop” … what a woos!
MSNBC's title heading during the NY top cop's presser was: "...turned himself in.."
Yeah, like being surrounded by cops with high power rifles with no where to run, he "turned himself in".
He was apprehended,period.
He's lucky they didn't help him go out in a blaze of glory. This guy is a maggot.
That's 'wuss'
Gimme a break!
Why this POS is still breathing air is a disgrace. We need a shoot on sight order. He killed a cop!
This is for the courts now.
Thank you.
... “suicide by cop” ...?
I volunteer!
Product-O-Liberalism
He wouldn't have been in any *danger* from a surgeon if the piece of filth had not shot him. The blame rests on it.
It's too bad it's in the courts hands. Sure way to guarantee that justice will not be done.
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