Just days after New York State Police reported they had been threatened for having arrested relatives of fugitive Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, two troopers were shot Thursday south of Buffalo, where the search for the prison escapee has been centered. The troopers, in critical condition after surgery, were shot while doing surveillance. They did not return fire.
According to police, the shootings occurred near a house where Phillips recently had visited his daughter and grandchildren. Phillips’ daughter and other relatives were arrested last week on charges of hindering prosecution. They were accused of providing Phillips with shelter and clothing. Phillips, 44, has been on the run since April 2, when he escaped from the Erie County Correctional Facility. He is suspected of the June 10 shooting of a state trooper in Chemung County. Since then, he apparently has stolen vehicles and broken into hunting camps across rural New York.
Link: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060901/1057586.asp