Phillips, made his first court appearances

CARROLL, N.Y. — A former fugitive suspected of fatally shooting a state trooper and wounding two others made his first court appearances Saturday, a day after surrendering following a five-month manhunt.

Ralph "Bucky" Phillips, who once threatened to "splatter pig meat all over Chautauqua County" in upstate New York, in a reference to police officers, was charged in Chemung County with eight counts, including attempted aggravated murder, first-degree attempted murder and second-degree attempted murder, all in connection with the shooting of a state trooper in June.

Phillips, 44, did not enter a plea.

Dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, the exhausted and unshaven suspect either looked at the floor or closed his eyes during the 12-minute arraignment. He was shackled at the ankles, with his wrists handcuffed, and was flanked by armed guards.

Phillips, a career thief who has spent 20 of the past 23 years in state prison, surrendered Friday night after five months on the run without firing a shot. The arrest capped New York state's largest manhunt after a frantic day that included troopers firing at Phillips as he hid in woods.

Federal prosecutor Terrance Flynn said he did not know when Phillips would be transferred to Chemung County, near the Pennsylvania line, where trooper Sean Brown was wounded on June 10. Back To James News