Ralph "Bucky" Phillips

Ralph James "Bucky" Phillips
File:Ralph-Phillips-FBI.jpg
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
Description
Born	June 19, 1962
Status
Added	September 7, 2006
Caught	September 8, 2006
Number	483
Captured

Ralph James "Bucky" (also called "Buck" by CNN) Phillips (born June 19, 1962) is a captured fugitive from upstate New York caught on September 8, 2006 by the Pennsylvania State Police. He was wanted by the New York State Police, United States Marshal Service, and the FBI for the shooting of three New York State troopers, one of whom has died. Prior to his capture, Phillips attained the dubious distinction of being one of the few fugitives ever to be simultaneously on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and the Marshal Service's Top 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list. He replaced Warren Jeffs on the FBI's list and was apprehended the day after he was added.

Prior criminal history

Phillips had a fairly expansive history in the New York State correctional system prior to his April, 2006 escape from the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden, New York. He had previously been convicted on three counts of burglary in the third degree, two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, and other various crimes.

During a prior transfer out of Chautauqua County Jail in Mayville, Phillips left a note threatening "to splatter pig meat all over Chautauqua County," with pig being derogatory slang for a member of the police force.

At the time of his escape, he was four days short of release on a 90-day sentence for violating the terms of his parole. He had been released in November 2005 after a burglary conviction, but failed to report to his parole officer as instructed, and was reimprisoned on January 6.

Fugitive events

Phillips was being held in Erie County jail for a parole violation, but escaped April 2, 2006 and was on the run until September 6, 2006. He escaped by cutting through the corrugated metal roof of the facility's kitchen using a can opener. He is believed to have stolen numerous vehicles and broken into several cabins across Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Police believe that at some point, he used a stolen vehicle to travel as far away as Kentucky, although no specific reason for this trip has been suggested. 41 guns were taken from a gun store in a burglary believed to be connected to Phillips. 33 of these weapons have since been recovered from the trailer of a man who has since been arrested for aiding and abetting Phillips's flight.

During the earlier phases of the hunt, Phillips took something of a folk hero status, with local businesses selling t-shirts saying "Where's Bucky?" or "Got Bucky?" (a parody of Got Milk?), and a restaurant selling a "Bucky Burger". With Phillips's local roots, it was suspected that numerous friends and relatives might have been giving him shelter.

First shooting

On June 10, 2006, around 1 a.m., State Trooper Sean Brown was shot in Veteran, New York (some 70 miles south of Syracuse). He had seen a Ford Mustang which had been reported stolen, and as he approached the vehicle the driver, who was later identified as Phillips, shot at him and sped off. The officer was seriously injured with gunshot wounds to the abdomen. On June 27, after reports of stolen vehicles and break-ins, police in Chautauqua County, New York found an abandoned backpack which contained items tied to Phillips, as well as the .38 cal handgun he had used in the June 10 incident.

On August 8, police were minutes behind Phillips after he was reported on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Niagara County, New York; however, he disappeared into the woods. On August 19, a policeman checking out a motorcycle with invalid tags chased Phillips into an apartment complex, and then discovered a group of people believed to have been hiding him for several days, who were arrested. Phillips, however, escaped once more.

Second shooting

When Phillips learned that the police would be detaining members of his family for questioning, he reportedly threatened them, warning them to stay away from his friends and family. During a stakeout of a related member's house on August 31 in the town of Pomfret in Chautauqua County, a second shooting took place. Police believe Phillips, pointed a high-powered rifle and shot two New York State Troopers: Donald Baker Jr., 38, and Joseph Longobardo, 32 (however the officers never saw their assailant and evidence has not yet been presented to tie Phillips with this shooting). Eleven total shots were fired. Officer Baker was struck in the back, and Officer Longobardo was struck in the leg, severing an artery. On Sunday, September 3rd, 2006, Officer Longobardo, 32, died. This followed a prior unsuccessful attempt to save his life by amputating his leg. Officer Baker remains in a medically-induced coma and is listed in critical condition.

The reward for Phillips topped $450,000.

Captured

As of approximately 8:15 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, September 8, 2006, both CNN and Fox News Channel have both reported that Phillips has been captured by Pennsylvania State Police. [1] Phillips was captured according to the AP without gunfire. He was captured in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Phillips, who was hiding in a lightly wooded area at the time of his capture, was spotted by a Pennsylvania police officer from a distance, who relayed the message to the troops in the immediate area. As the police officers methodically surrounded him, Phillips surrendered, with his hands up in the air. He was reported having a "defeated look," by New York State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett.

External links

• NY State Police wanted poster
• US Marshals wanted poster
• FBI wanted poster
• New York's Most Wanted police profile
• America's Most Wanted profile
• AP via CNN.com (September 3, 2006). Hunt for 'Bucky' amused locals until troopers shot
• New York Times Article [2]