HARRISBURG – State police are advising residents that an escaped convict sought in connection with the shooting of two New York state Police troopers early Friday in Fredonia, N.Y., may be in the commonwealth.
“This subject is a suspect in a number of crimes in northwestern Pennsylvania, including hunting camp burglaries,” Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller said. “We cannot rule out that he may have fled to Pennsylvania. This subject should be considered armed and dangerous.”
Officials identified the suspect as Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, 44, who escaped April 2 from a jail in New York where he was sent for violating parole on a burglary conviction. He also is wanted in the June 10 shooting of a New York state trooper near Elmira, N.Y.
The two troopers who were shot early Friday were staking out the hometown of Phillips’ girlfriend at the time of the shooting.
Phillips is 6 feet tall, weighs between 180 and 200 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. His race is listed by New York officials as American Indian.
Anyone with information regarding Phillips should contact police.
“I would advise anyone with a hunting cabin to exercise extreme caution in dealing with strangers,” Miller said.
