Fugitive Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, 43, has been called “armed and
dangerous” by the police agencies pursuing him and has reportedly
left a trail of stolen firearms across Western New York.
He is wanted for questioning regarding the attempted murder of a
New York State trooper and has allegedly threatened “suicide by
cop.”
The Rev. Patrick Elis, a Catholic priest in Cassadaga, N.Y., is
not frightened by any of that he told The Era Friday. In fact, he
wants to meet Phillips face to face and help him turn himself over
to the authorities.
Elis is pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in Cassadaga,
the small village where police now think Phillips is hiding.
Phillips was last seen running into the woods in that area, having
been spotted at about 2 a.m. Wednesday by a state trooper.
Since then, Elis has been telling different area news media that
he is offering Phillips sanctuary at his church. He wants the
search for Phillips and his eventual capture to be peaceful, he
said.
As of Friday evening, Elis had not seen or heard from Phillips,
he said.
“My offer remains,” Elis went on to say. He is seeking “peaceful
solutions to difficult problems,” he said, adding “people have to
step up and seek peace or it won’t come.”
“On Wednesday, when I woke up, there was an overwhelming number
of New York State police in our little village,” Elis said, “and it
became apparent that there could possibly be a danger of violence
to that gentleman (Phillips), to the police officers and to the
people in the community caught in crossfire.”
He said he thinks Phillips is tired, hungry and wet, not to
mention isolated. That strain, combined with the strain being
experienced by the police officers hunting Phillips day and night,
will add up to a very bad situation.
“We have to look to diffuse a very difficult situation, and if
we can do it, we will all win,” Elis said.
When asked if he would be at all frightened if Phillips actually
showed up at his church, Elis said he lives with his 84-year-old
mother, and that neither of them are afraid.
“She sees sanctuary as a wonderful service,” he said. “And if my
mother is not frightened, I find it difficult to be frightened
myself.
“This is a desperate situation and I want him (Phillips) to know
his reception will be at the hand of friendship, peace and safety.”
He added he felt the press’ involvement in the search was
instrumental, in that Phillips might see incentive in coming
forward to “tell his side of the story.”
Phillips, 43, escaped from an Alden correctional facility early
in April. Since then, he has allegedly stolen a number of vehicles
and firearms, and has been spotted in several locations in both
Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties in Western New York, as well as
here in Bradford. On June 10, New York State Trooper Sean Brown was
shot in the abdomen as he approached a stopped car police think was
driven by Phillips. Phillips is now wanted for questioning in that
shooting; police think he fired the shot at Brown, who has since
recovered.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to
Phillips’ arrest. Police think Phillips is working with area
residents to elude authorities and have said those assisting
Phillips will be prosecuted.
Witnesses who spotted Phillips most recently said the Native
American, 6-foot tall and weighing 240 pounds, had short hair, some
facial hair and was wearing a black and white checkered shirt.
Police have been going door to door advising residents to remove
their keys from their vehicles, and to report any burglaries or
thefts of vehicles, gasoline, food or firearms.
