ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 TAG: 9611120112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FAIRFIELD, ILL.
SOURCE: Associated Press
A man wanted in Virginia on a charge of shooting at a police officer was arrested Monday after a shootout that wounded an Illinois state trooper, authorities said.
State police spokesman Rich Fulkerson said the trooper stopped a motorist for a traffic violation, then learned that the man was driving a stolen vehicle with Virginia plates.
``Seconds later, a gunfight ensued,'' he said.
Police in Virginia Beach, Va., identified the suspect as Jeffrey Scott Blaney, 31, wanted for allegedly shooting at a Virginia Beach police officer Saturday, police spokesman Mike Carey said.
Blaney was also wanted on charges of burglary, grand larceny and possession of burglary tools, Carey said.
The Illinois trooper was taken to Welborn Baptist Hospital in Evansville, Ind., where a spokeswoman said he was in serious condition. His name was not released.
Fulkerson said the trooper was stable and alert as he was being prepared for surgery on his lower-left abdomen, where he had been shot at least once with a .357-caliber handgun.
The shooting occurred on Interstate 64 in rural White County. Authorities thought both men had fired their weapons but were not immediately sure who fired first, Fulkerson said.
Blaney was arrested by Wayne County sheriff's deputies and Fairfield police after a chase on U.S. 45 in Wayne County. The suspect crashed his vehicle and fled on foot. He was being held at the Wayne County jail in Fairfield.
Sheriff Jerry Joslin said the suspect surrendered a revolver with two spent rounds in its chamber. The suspect did not fire on authorities after the initial burst of gunfire with the trooper, he said.
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