THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 28, 1994                    TAG: 9406280320 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B1    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940628                                 LENGTH: NORFOLK 

OFF TO A GOOD START\

{LEAD} State Trooper Sean Scott chased a car Saturday and arrested a Norfolk man who was wanted for a stabbing. Not bad, considering the trooper's career had begun only an hour earlier.

Scott finished his supervised training at 6 p.m. Saturday, meaning he was a fully empowered state trooper, said state police spokeswoman Tammy Van Dame.

{REST} On the way to his Norfolk home, driving down Hampton Boulevard near Terminal Boulevard in his blue-and-gray trooper's sedan, Scott spotted a speeding Cadillac, Van Dame said. He decided to give the motorist a warning.

But when the trooper flipped on his blue lights, the Cadillac sped up. Scott chased, and the Cadillac blew a tire and crashed moments later. Scott arrested the driver, Kenneth Merrill Green, 27, of Norfolk.

A check of Green's record turned up a warrant for his arrest on a charge of malicious wounding.

``It was an incredible feeling,'' Scott said. ``The guy had a couple knives and a gun and was wanted for stabbing someone. No telling what he would have done.''

Scott has always been keen on catching people in trouble. As a Virginia Beach lifeguard, he made more than 70 saves patrolling the city's surf and was honored for his exceptional service in 1991.

``It all comes back to helping people, he said. ``It's part of the same game plan.'' But, no doubt, some people won't be as happy to see Scott in his new job as they were when he watched the surf for floundering swimmers.

``They need to look out,'' he said. ``Because now I'm out here.''

{KEYWORDS} ASSAULT STABBING INJURIES ARREST

by CNB