A Tightening Noose

Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is rapidly running out of running room. That tends to happen to suspected cop killers. The career criminal who is suspected to have murdered a New York State trooper escaped from a jail less than one week before he was due to be released and has been the suspect in a string of burglaries, car thefts and shootings of police ever since. The trooper who died, Joseph Longobardo, was shot from ambush along with trooper Donald Baker Jr. Baker remains hospitalized in serious condition. Please, if you are a hunter in Western New York or Northern Pennsylvania, stay out of the woods until this man is captured. The police do not want any accidents and you would be at serious risk from Phillips.

Hunters in rural and wooded Chautauqua County are "interfering" with the search and face danger from Ralph "Bucky" Phillips and authorities pursuing him, State Police Maj. Michael Manning said.

"They can certainly be mistaken for the wrong individual," Manning said.

Many officers are scouring the western New York woods for Phillips, the prime suspect in Thursday's ambush of troopers Donald Baker Jr., 38, and Joseph Longobardo, 32, who died Sunday. Baker remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, police said.

Phillips, 44, wounded another trooper near Elmira in June and has eluded police since his April 2 escape from an Erie County jail.

SWAT teams from Buffalo, Rochester and Jamestown joined troopers in the search Monday, Manning said. Other reinforcements have come from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, nearby Erie County and police agencies in neighboring Pennsylvania.

Manning would not say how many law enforcement officers are involved in the manhunt, but said the search and recent arrests of Phillips' supporters have put pressure on the suspect.

"I think he's in hiding. I don't think he has any place to go now," Manning said. "The noose is tightening."

Earlier post on this subject is here. Fellow blogger Resurgemus has a brother who is a New York State trooper and is likely to be sent to help in the manhunt. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support. He also has additional links and information on Phillips. Again, if you are a hunter, stay out of the woods. If you know a hunter warn them.