News in review

It may be hard for some students to take a news story seriously when it is about a guy named Bucky who broke out of the clink using a can opener. Nevertheless, the hunt for Ralph "Bucky" Phillips was a very serious matter.

During the three months that he managed to avoid arrest, he had access to firearms, transportation and other help from friends and family. Regardless of the resources available to him, Phillips was not able to make it out of the country or even out of the region, where he might have been able to wreak more havoc.

Some UB students have watched the mess unfold in recent months, but despite the media onslaught, there are still others that remain unclear about exactly who Phillips is.

For those who did recognize the name, Phillip's arrest came as a relief.

"I think it definitely took them a long time to finally bring him in," said freshman business major Nick Narchus. "Other than that, he got away a lot too, but once they were finally able to catch him, I thought it was a really great thing."

During the initial months of the search, many Chautauqua County residents, Phillips' home base, made somewhat of a joke out of the situation.

"People didn't call the cops when they could have," said Arielle Arbitol, a junior media studies major. "The worst part about this whole thing was that a lot of people thought it was funny at first. They didn't take it seriously enough because most people weren't informed about just how bad of a person he is."

Once Trooper Joseph Longobardo died from gunshot wounds allegedly caused by Phillips, his status as a dangerous criminal became especially clear to some.

"It's just a shame they couldn't have gotten him sooner," Amanda Amidon, senior English major said. "And as far as those people that were helping him, I just can't see where they get off. Someone ended up dying because of that. I was really surprised that he was brought in alive after how aggressively he was being chased."

Despite general assumptions that police would not catch him, Phillips has finally been arrested after several escapes that enticed criticism of the New York State Police Department.

Some students feel that the amount of time and state funds that have been used up in the process was somewhat embarrassing.

"I think they would have got him a lot sooner even without spending all the money they did, in less time and without that trooper dying," said senior electrical engineering major Don MacFarland.

Phillip's future is uncertain, but everyone can agree that his situation is grim.

"I was very happy that he was finally captured," said junior English major Eric Pastore. "Personally, for me it was a feeling similar to when they got Saddam. For what he did, I think he should be sentenced to death."