Suspected Cop Killer Surrenders

Cops Nab Ralph 'Bucky' Phillips, Ending State's Largest Manhunt

(CBS/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 field just over the Pennsylvania border 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 included troopers firing at Phillips earlier in the day as he dodged authorities in a wooded area.

Phillips appeared in U.S. District Court in Buffalo Saturday where a judge agreed to turn him over to state police to face a charge of attempted murder of a state trooper in Chemung County.

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.

During the four-minute hearing, the exhausted and unshaven suspect answered "yes" when asked if he was Ralph Phillips and if had received a copy of the federal complaint charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, he stood with his hands folded in front of him as the judge spoke. After the appearance, U.S. Marshals placed a chain around his waist, handcuffed him and led him out of court.

For hours, police had methodically moved closer to Phillips. Just before nightfall, 25 SWAT officers and 12 dogs swept through a field where he was thought to be hiding. He gave himself up around 8 p.m., police said.

"A few of my guys had spotted him in an open field, the helicopter zeroed in on him," said Lenny DePaul, commanding officer of the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force.

He did not know what condition Phillips was in. In a photo taken as he was driven away from the field, Phillips looked gaunt, dirty and exhausted.

"He could run but he couldn't hide," said New York State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett. "The bottom line is the pressure was so great on him. The game was up and he knew it."

While on the run, police believe Phillips had stolen at least 15 cars and more than 40 guns; living off the land, ex-girlfriends and at least one boyhood buddy who's since been arrested, reported CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts.

A U.S. Marshals Service task force joined the investigation Wednesday and had about 30 investigators on the ground, commanding officer Lenny DePaul said.

CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric asked DePaul how Phillips could elude such an enormous manhunt.

"He's got little bit of a history — with his background being the woodsman that he is. He grew up in the area, he's got a lot of experience doing what he's doing," DePaul said of Phillips.

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 June 10. 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.

[prophecy411]

diamondp50 - I am soooo truly sorry that your life was like that. You deserved so much better. Unfortunately this proves part of what I am trying to communicate. The system failed me as a child, and defnately you as a child and obviously Bucky as a child. I praise God that like you I overcame severe abuse and did something constructive. I congratulate you for your success. Your strength is admirable and my prayers are with you for continued success in your field. I understand your anger but please understand from a pastoral point of view one of the greatest crimes in this world is an absence of love in your heart for others. You can love people and refuse to condone and even despise their actions. So many people come to know God in prison because it is the first time they receive genuine love from anyone. Sometimes the hardest part of my job is to express God's love to someone who has committed a repulsive crime. I am called to remember whatever I might feel, God loves that person and will forgive them 100% if they ask.

[diamondp50]

prophecy411
I ran away from the abuse at age 11 the first time, the cops threw me back into the hell. I didn't have one teacher that ever came to me and say "how can I help". My grandparents were as messed up as my parents and the gp's/siblings on my mom's side could have cared less, except for one Uncle that molested me for a couple of years. I had a son at 15 and the nurse insisted I was better off giving my son up which I did to the very people who I called parents. I didn't have a clue about life, about right & wrong, or how to make a decision. I quit school at age 15, and before that ran away time and time again, sleeping in old cars and worse in the middle of winter. I never stole from anyone, and I was never busted. I was cold, hungry, scared & alone. I didn't see my 2(by this time)sons or my siblings for 5 years as I ran from the fear. I was married 4 times to wife abusers from 15 to 33 all the while trying to "make a life". It took almost 25 years to even start to get it right and I still made alot of mistakes because I had no direction from anyone. Today I am 48 years old, have my GED, MY BA in Criminology, a good relationship w/both my sons, a beautiful daughter and 6 grandkids. I work in a great job and I did it w/out help. There are millions of people like Bucky and I, some have it worse than we did, the difference is that most of us chose be something, no matter how hard we had to work and struggle to get there. Bucky chose his path and he did that on his own.

[prophecy411]

Efforts have been underway for years to separate New York City from New York State as we are beyond tired of subsidizing New York City. Statistics have shown that it is a drain to the entire state to pay for things such as welfare recipients to take taxis to buy aspirin at $30.00 a pop. If businesses in New York City are hiring millions of immigrants who are using Medicaid for their health plan then the ones who are needing them should be the only ones paying their health care, but City residents are not containing these costs...it is spread across the state. They have it all... counseling... transportation... over-the-counter medications FREE on me and all other residents of New York State. People who try to move to another adjacent state and apply for welfare are offered the following: that state will pay someone to move to New York and set them up in an apartment so that they will no longer seek assistance from the state the applied for assistance in because New York pays the most benefits in all areas - and people take the offer. I sure feel the drain in my pocketbook. You get to wait years for urgent mental health care here. My husband works too hard and we don't even get back 1/3 of the taxes he pays in our tax return. The city needs to separate and pay for those living in that geographic location. Erie County was the first to go bankrupt under this system and we are soon behind them and elections require money that is obviously not in our pockets.

[prophecy411]

Other articles previously responded to by me regarding Bucky have postings from me stating that Bucky had no intervention prior to age 18 to help him. He is responsible for what he has done and I will stand and wave a flag with everyone condemning him for criminal acts he committed from age 18 on because you cannot pass through life without observing proper behavior and learning right from wrong.
I however will not do so without pointing out that he was completely broken before he hit age 18 and those early experiences were not healed and he formed his personality from those experiences. Is he messed up, you bet! All of you who had horrid childhoods can probably point to at least one person who changed you and you modeled yourself after for change. You however do not allow the possibility that Bucky had no one and that there are still children that had no one but other criminals to help them survive.

[prophecy411]

The so called boo hooing is giving a voice to the issues. I am stating what I am finding fault with and actively taking action against. If you are in the area please stop in and join me. I am not blaming but identifying factual information. If the government says there is help for people and tell you to come and get it and they go to get it and the government response is no, we won't help you who is at fault?
What if you are 12 years old and living in the woods with no real home because your parents told you to leave and never come back and the neighbors know it and they are all looking the other way. That is where Bucky was sent to live by his parents. Should CPS have found a foster home...yes...but they were busy chasing their tails investigating reports from people who make unfounded reports to push other peoples buttons.

[diamondp50]

prophecy411:::
One more thing, if it is so bad in your county, get off your ***** and change it. You have the power to make the change. Stop blaming everyone for your problems, stop waiting for handouts from the state, go out there and raise your voices to bring about change. Stop boo hooing and help yourselves. You are supposed to be an ordained minister and you make more excuses for the bad guy, and more excuses as to why things are the way they are in your county, but what I want to know is what are you, as a religious leader doing to bring your community together? What are you doing to help bring about change? Stop wasting all your energies talking your B*S* and get something positive going...Make the school and CPS answer to the community for their actions. Fight for a better system. Get out there and vote in new leaders...Put your gripes into action and quit with all the excuses.

[diamondp50]

prophecy411 ::::

Would you get over it already. Not everybody receives help when they come from a horrid childhood, but that still doesn't give you the right to step over the line. When you get to adulthood, you know what is right and wrong and you figure it out. "Bucky" is a career criminal and he never did anything on his own to change that. So will you please GET OVER IT already. If this is all you have in his defense then you have no defense at all.

[ihatedss]

Ill make this brief, Ontario County DSS NY
took my *3 DAY OLD* nursing baby from her mother and then returned the child 3 days later. They did this to be punative to me because I attempted to stand up for my rights previously regarding a 4th amendment violation.

The state troopers didnt like that I told them they need a warrant to inspect my home and threatened to arrest me 'for obstruction of justice'. I should have let them. They are the real criminals. As in this case, they shouldnt have taken the grandkids. Our system isnt supposed to work this way.
DSS needs to be reigned in more than the BATF Currently DSS officers are completely
immune and that is not how our system is supposed to work. Separately, I even think 'family court' (a misnomer) isnt even constitutional.

The problem is that most lawyers have kids and are AFRAID of DSS taking their kids. We need to sue the state for abolishment of DSS.

[oopydoop]

How can you even begin to say that this idiot "Bucky" was concerned for his grandchildren and that he was provoked by the police. Where was he for the last 21 of 24 years? The answer, jail. I'm sure he did a whole hell of alot for his grandchildren and family while committing crimes to get his *** thrown back in the slammer. As a matter of fact he went back to jail after violating rules in a half way house by making threats towards family members. He is no family man. He is just a "piece of human debris" that has total disregard for others.
Phillips took the life of a fine young man, Trooper Joseph Longobardo, and the only thing Phillips deserves now is death. I wished to God that he had been killed so that I would not have to hear about this piece of garbage again. But unfortunately he has shown how much of a scumbag coward he really is. He is lucky that the police play by the rules! Phillips is nothing more than a drain on society.


Trooper Joseph A. Longobardo,you have completed your Tour of Duty and may you now Rest in Peace.

[hulbie1]

interesting commets....if you dont trust the cops who you going to trust..nope they arent perfect but think they would be better to do so with than say bucky ya think?..bucky as a person is responcible for his actas with out any excuses that people seem to want to make for him..to me bottom line is we all have our "demons" to fight and most of us seem to be able to obey the law in doing so ..we struggle and battle daily to achive the things we want without taking from others even though at times it seems insurmountable roadblocks... his way was the "easy" way to take and let others work for what he wanted.. no excuses for that...he had less than week to do and he made decision to do it this way...just another idiot with the i want so i'll take and screw others and what they think..yea a great guy...not

[Lucky Bob]

I have to agree that the state's child protective services can be a joke. It seems like they end up going after innocent people when the children that need help don't get it very often. But I guess that's a story for another day...

[prophecy411]

Lucky Bob - I am sure that there are officers walking away from here with at least $10,000 to $25,000 in their pockets more than they earned last year. I don't blame them...they are looking out for number one and it is not cheap to get raped by New York State for taxes. That is the yearly salary of most of the people who live in Chautauqua County so we consider that a lot of money.
I never said Bucky would turn himself in did I?
Budgets for all New York State entities are determined by what is spent the year before...if you don't spend it, you lose it...if you spend more you get more the following year. Facts of life in New York State...
I am an ordained minister and I spend my time cleaning up messes made by New York State free of charge by counseling those that cannot afford the help they need.

[Lucky Bob]

prophecy411, the percent of us in Chautauqua County who knew what "Bucky was about" was more than five percent. It wasn't that Bucky turned deadly because the Big 'Ol Bad State Police started picking on him. He broke out of prison, supposedly shot a police officer, and then possibly stole a number of vehicles and FIREARMS. He knew what he was getting into when he broke out of prison. You can't expect that when a man breaks out of prison for the police to say, "Eh, oh well. Maybe he'll come back or turn himself in. Eh." Don't give me that he would have eventually turned himself in. He had no intentions of it! Would you if you were free, and after having shot someone??? He ignored a request by someone he previously worked with who was willing to take the $50,000 reward and give it to Bucky's grandchildren!

Oh, and I know the State Police wanted to just rack up their overtime and bonuses. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to work twenty-four hour shifts when you have a family at home to support...please...

[prophecy411]

For those who still aren't getting the concept of living in New York and Chautauqua County (these are not Bucky relatives by the way)--
CASE 1 - Family with 4 children under age 10 and a 2 week old infant. Mother has not slept regularly since new baby was born father is an over the road trucker. Teacher knows there is a new baby in the home but has the nerve to call child protective services when the child in her class wears the same clothes accidentally 2 days in a row.
CASE 2 - Family has a child injured and physicians notes IN THE OFFICE IN THE SCHOOL excusing a 20 day absence from school. The school calls child protective services stating that the child was absent for unknown reasons EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD A PHYSICIANS NOTE on file.

And the country wonders why Bucky is a little nutty. I'd go on but I'm only allowed 1500 characters each entry.

[prophecy411]

Absolutely! I can tell you the mindset he had.

---You NEVER saved me from my abuse and here you are taking innocent children from a good parent and abusing an infant...NO WAY---

I would rate the actions taken against the infant granddaughter of Bucky as child abuse by the State of New York. This child did nothing to them and it was not the proper action to take...as others have stated if they just backed off no one would be dead including Bradley Horton and he would one day get comfortable and reveal himself in a location that he is recognized and be taken into custody. I am sure that someone would have turned him in for the money (with no loss of life) if he were not hunted by the police and hiding from the general public.

[cgarrison32]

The New York State Police should take some responsibility for the death of Joseph Longobardo and for the shooting of Don Baker. The NYSP had Child Protective Services remove Ralph Phillip's grandchildren from their home, one of whom was a nursing baby who was taken from her mother. This was a tactic intended to root out Phillips, and it worked, as the Longobardo and Baker families will attest. Did Ralph deserve to be caught- absolutely. If he shot those Troopers, he deserves the maximum penalty. It seems that by deliberately provoking Ralph Phillips, the NYSP put their own men in jeopardy, and should have to be partly responsible for what happened.

[prophecy411]

I challenge everyone to find one instance where Bucky received significant help and appropriate counseling and intervention when he was a child.

I can't find any...

[prophecy411]

In regard to the press reports...they choose to interview the 5% of the population in Chautauqua County who did have a fear of Bucky and ignore the majority who know what Bucky was about. In regard to his capture, I am relieved that there was not further injuries or deaths. I hope that the justice system sorts out what is speculation and what is truth and he receives his day in court.

In regard to Bucky - If the State of New York had invested even $1,000 in a counselor for Bucky when he was abused as a 12 year old boy they may never have had the events of today occur and it would be money well spent when you review the millions of wasted dollars in this search. In regard to locating him by infared...you cannot get your budget expanded for next year and get paid overtime and bonuses for being stationed away from your home barracks if he is captured so it was not in the plan of the State Police to capture him until they could justify their budget and get even more for next year set aside and pad their own pockets.

[trailwalker2]

I too am glad that this is over and mourn the loss of the trooper who was killed. I hope that those who harbored the criminal are hit hard by the justice system and shunned by others. It is unfortunate that the scumbag was not killed instead of taken alive. A similar incident occurred in Blacksburg, VA near VA Tech where my son goes to college. It is unfortunate that that cop killer did not get killed too instead of being captured. Where would we be without police officers, firemen, rescue workers, and our armed services personnel?

[moc01]

I'm sorry for the police officers death but they too have failed policies. I sure don't trust the police.