THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Two Outer Banks men have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a Maryland state trooper during a traffic stop near Crisfield on the Eastern Shore, North Carolina authorities said Tuesday night.
The car from which the shots were fired, about 1 a.m. Tuesday, was registered to a Manteo resident and has been recovered by Maryland police.
Maryland police refused to release the suspects' names, saying they would wait until an 11 a.m. news conference today.
But Dare County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Rodney Midgett said both suspects live on Roanoke Island. ``One person they have in custody is a locally known drug dealer who has done time here before for cocaine,'' Midgett said.
About 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, trooper Edward A. Plank, 28, was shot in the head on U.S. 13 from the driver's side of the car after he approached it a second time. Another trooper, Dennis Lord, 23, was shot at from the passenger's side but wasn't hit.
Lord shot at the car, as the suspects fled, apparently hitting one of the suspects.
The car, a red 1991 Plymouth Sundance, ended up in a pond behind a private residence about 15 miles from the scene of the shooting. One of the suspects broke into the home and shot at the homeowner. The homeowner fought with the man, ``knocked him out cold'' then called 911, said Col. David Mitchell, Maryland state police superintendent.
The second suspect was takrding to state police spokesman Lt. Greg Shipley. Troopers spotted him hiding in the bushes and subdued him after a brief chase.
Police said they were still trying to verify the identities of the suspects. No charges had been filed as of late Tuesday night.
The car's gray interior was blood-soaked and the back window was shot out. There were bullet holes in the left rear taillight, the trunk and on the driver's side near the door.
A gun was found at the home where the first suspect was found, but Mitchell said it was not immediately known who owned it.
Police would not identify the homeowner, and reporters were not allowed in the home.
Plank, who had been a state trooper for seven years, is the first Maryland State Police officer to die in the line of duty since 1992. He is survived by a wife, Lori, and a 7-month-old daughter.
Mitchell said police did not have a motive for the shooting. MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING ARREST by CNB