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Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - June 22, 2008
LAKE JUNALUSKA – Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. was remembered Saturday as a devoted family man with an infectious grin and role model who loved life, sports and his profession.
“He was a son, a grandson, a brother, a best friend, a husband, a daddy, but most of all he’s our hero today, and we’re here to celebrate his life,” said Trooper J.P. Henderson, Blanton’s friend and shift partner on the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Some 2,000 friends, family and fellow law enforcement officers filled Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference Cen-ter to honor the slain trooper, who was gunned down in his prime during a traffic stop Tuesday night on Interstate 40 near Canton.
A Florida man with an extensive criminal history, Edwardo Wong II, is charged with his killing and remains jailed in Haywood County without bond.
Blanton, 24, a Swain County native who was the first member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to become a trooper, left behind a wife, Michaela, newborn son, Brendan Tye, and a large extended family.
Such a senseless tragedy “cuts at the fabric of our society and so much we hold dear in this land,” said the Rev. David Christy, pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Canton. “Shawn knew what it meant to live life, to have fun, to love deeply and to care generously.
“He excelled in virtually everything he did, and he’s rightly been called a hero. But please hear this: Shawn Blanton was not a hero because he lost his life.”
Procession of horses, police cruisers
Blanton’s body and casket were carried around the lake to the auditorium on a caisson drawn by two black horses. Behind was an officer leading another horse with a saddle, but no rider. Police cruisers, blue lights flashing, followed.
Mourners, many with hands over their hearts, watched solemnly as the procession went by. One held a sign reading, “You will never be forgotten Trooper Blanton.” The caisson passed under the large American flag draped from the extended ladders of two fire trucks.
Six troopers carried the casket into the auditorium. Two by two, hundreds of troopers and other law enforcement officers from across North Carolina and neighboring states filed in, removing their hats as they passed through the doorway.
Bagpipes played as Blanton’s body was wheeled to the front of the hall. Some in the audience wiped away tears.
Blanton “was a shining example of all that we expect from a law enforcement officer,” said Bryan Beatty, secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. “He was devoted to and loved his wife Michaela and his family. He was deeply committed to the state Highway Patrol and public safety. He was very active and involved in his community.
“When someone who is so young, so full of life, so full of promise, is suddenly and tragically and senselessly taken away from us, it is natural to ask why.”
Col. Fletcher Clay, commander of the N.C. Highway Patrol, said troopers share a strong bond and grieve deeply when one of their own is struck down in the line of duty.
“It is those indescribable things that exist in the very soul of a man which allow him to put on a badge and a gun and without mental reservation or hesitation, go into harm’s way so that others might be free and safe from evil beings who do harm to them,” Clay said. “Shawn will remain forever in our hearts and our minds.”
Following the funeral, Blanton was buried at Thomas Memorial Cemetery in Whittier.
“Shawn loved being a trooper,” Henderson said. “He lived and breathed the black and gray, and today he’s our hero.”
Reflections on the services and trooper Blanton
“Being part of the Rescue Squad, it’s just like a family member,” Pam Hill, a retired Emergency Medical Services paramedic, said of the death.
“This is the third Highway Patrol service I’ve had to attend. I don’t want to go to any more.”
Hill and others at her EMS department will create a memory book for the slain state trooper’s son, Brendan Tye Blanton.
A good friend who worked with Blanton, Detective Archie Shuler of the Maggie Valley Police Department, expected the high turnout at the memorial service. He spoke of the bond shared by his fellow officers, local and statewide, which would help them get through this hard time.
“We just stick together, lean on each other,” he said.
“We just came out to pay our tribute,” Gloria Jones, a Lake Junaluska resident, said as she and her mother looked on prior to the service.
Jones, the wife of a police officer, said she can relate to Blanton’s family.
“I know how it is — not to lose somebody — but to know that you might,” she said.
Blanton and Robert White, deputy of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, gave speeches in school classrooms together.
“He was dedicated to the job, to the state and to his family,” White said.
Andrews Chief of Police Linda Marcie attended the service in honor of highway patrolmen and expressed disbelief in the wake of the murder.
“It’s hard for me to imagine anyone would have that much hate to execute a law enforcement officer, a young man with a family,” she said.
“Everything’s so solemn and quiet. It’s just a shame it was done how it was done,” said Iris King, a retired schoolteacher living in Lake Junaluska. “It’s a terrible thing to happen while putting in service for the state.”
“I’ve known Shawn’s family all his life, since he was a little boy,” said Charles Smathers of the Cherokee Tribal Enforcement Resources. “He was one of us.”
“He never had a bad word to say about anybody — just a good kid. It’s a shame,” he said.
Marie Junaluska, a member of the Paint Town council, said she has a special place in her heart for Blanton.
“I had the honor of mentoring him in the Cherokee language,” she said. “He always had a good nature about him. He was a joy to see.”
The two were fellow members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
Robyn and Johnny Crawford, friends of Blanton’s family, of Sylva, have three sons, one of whom was a close friend of Blanton and became a state trooper with his encouragement.
“He helped him get through it,” Robyn Crawford said. “Shawn was wonderful. The family was wonderful.”
Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - June 21, 2008
Across the country, it happens thousands of times a day: A police officer spots a traffic violation, pulls over a vehicle and approaches the driver.
But these traffic stops, no matter how many times an officer performs one, are never routine.
They constitute one of the more dangerous aspects of any lawman’s daily duties.
That is painfully evident this week in the wake of the slaying of N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr., who was shot and killed Tuesday during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Haywood County.
“Troopers are taught in the very beginning of their training that traffic stops are one of the most dangerous things you’ll do as a trooper,” said Lt. Everett Clendenin, a spokesman for the N.C. Highway Patrol. “The No. 1 one danger is vehicles passing by. You’re more likely to be struck by a vehicle than to be the victim of an assault.”
Of the 59 N.C. Highway Patrol officers killed in the line of duty since the patrol’s formation in 1929, 19 patrolmen died during traffic stops.
Nationally, between 1997 and 2006, 562 officers were “feloniously killed,” according to FBI. Of those, 36 died during traffic stops.
The Tar Heel State’s 1,813 troopers cover more than 78,000 miles of roadways and issue more than 1 million citations a year. The vast majority of motorists are compliant and give the officers no trouble.
“But you sort of get this sixth sense once in a while,” said Capt. Terry Rogers, who oversees the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division but spent 30 years as a highway patrolman. “The person is nervous, maybe a little jittery, has a catch in their voice, maybe they’re trying to hide something. Of course, you can stop some people who are real nervous to start with because they’ve been pulled. But sometimes, you can tell something is wrong.”
Asked what he considered the most dangerous police calls, Rogers said, “traffic stops and domestic calls.”
“The thing about domestic calls is when that call comes in, you know from the information that came in that you’ve got one or more people who are upset and may be violent,” Rogers said. “In a traffic stop, you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
What makes traffic stops so inherently dangerous, beyond motorists whizzing by at high speeds, is that the criminal, if intent on harming an officer, knows what his game plan is. The officer does not and can only follow his training.
In Blanton’s case, the State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case, and the Highway Patrol is reluctant to release details because the suspect, Edwardo Wong, 37, faces a murder trial.
But Clendenin did note that the patrol’s initial investigation shows Blanton, a two-year patrol veteran, followed procedure.
Authorities apprehended Wong after a brief chase and found Blanton’s gun along with two others in Wong’s vehicle.
Blanton’s gun was taken after he had been shot, Clendenin said Friday.
He did not say whether Blanton called in Wong’s plate number but said troopers have that option in every stop and can also search vehicle data with in-car computers.
“We believe that Trooper Blanton, from what we know so far, he did everything right,” Clendenin said. “(The suspect) remained calm, answered the trooper’s questions and was compliant — up until when he sensed the trooper was getting ready to arrest him.”
Training on traffic stops varies slightly within departments, but most agencies, including the Highway Patrol, stress these techniques:
• Under normal conditions, approach the vehicle from driver’s side. Troopers do have the option to approach from the passenger side or to have the driver meet them outside the vehicle.
• Check the trunk and back seat for passengers or dangers. Scan passengers for weapons or suspicious behavior.
• Stand slightly behind the driver’s seat when talking to the driver.
• Stand with your handgun away from the driver and keep the weapon out of their reach.
• Have the driver keep his hands where you can see them.
• Never become complacent. Be aware of your surroundings and any unusual body language or actions.
• Call for backup if needed.
• If you are assaulted, meet the force with equal force or a level above. Most officers carry pepper spray or Tasers.
Sometimes, no amount of training can prepare an officer.
“If a person has declared to himself, ‘I’m going to kill any police officer that stops me,’ it will depend on that officer’s demeanor and actions ... to stop that from happening,” Clendenin said.
In Buncombe County, Rogers said his 64 patrol deputies have to call in every tag number. He said Buncombe, like the Highway Patrol, prefers to keep motorists in their vehicles.
“You want to put some distance between you and the driver and don’t let them get up where they can grab you,” Rogers said. “You want to keep your gun hand away from them at all times. If you’re standing on the side of the road, maybe try to be above them, uphill from them. If somebody makes a lunge at you, you try to back away.”
The biggest danger, Rogers said, is assuming a motorist poses no threat, that the stop is “routine.”
“You do get complacent sometimes — that’s probably your worst enemy right there.”
Ken Howes, executive director of the American Association of State Troopers, retired from the Florida Highway Patrol in December after a 30-year career. He said officers nationwide are trained in hand-to-hand combat and self-defense techniques, but those may not work on some aggressive drivers.
“If you can’t control them with hand-to-hand combat, you have to resort to an intermediate weapon — pepper spray, for instance,” Howes said. “If that doesn’t work, and in your in fear for life because someone is attacking you, unfortunately the next step is to pull your weapon and use deadly force.”
Vigilance — on every single stop — is the top priority.
“When somebody says ‘routine traffic stop,’ it’s really not routine,” Howes said. “Even if you stop a 70-year-old grandmother for having a light out, it’s not routine because of the traffic around you.”
If you get pulled over
• Always carry proper ID — a valid driver’s license — proof of vehicle registration and proof of insurance.
• After you stop, stay in your vehicle and keep your seat belt fastened until the officer has seen you wearing it. If you are asked to exit the vehicle, do it slowly.
• Roll down your window all the way, so the officer can communicate with you.
• Don’t immediately reach into your glove box, console pocket or back seat. Wait for the officer to request your license, registration and proof of insurance. If the documents are out of reach, tell the officer where they are and reach for them slowly. Otherwise, keep your hands on the steering wheel and ask your passengers to also keep their hands in plain view.
• Remain calm, stop using your cell phone and turn down your radio.
• Understand that officers will use a patrol car’s headlights and spotlights during darkness for safety purposes. It helps illuminate the interior of your car.
• Give the officer a chance to explain the violation. Most are trained to ask for identification and registration before providing an explanation of the stop. This is to avoid debating the reason for the stop before acquiring this necessary information.
• Answer all questions honestly. Information pertaining to prior arrests or traffic violations is easily verified via the police dispatcher.
• Don’t be alarmed if another police officer arrives at the stop. Police officers often stop to see if a fellow officer needs assistance during a traffic stop.
• Don’t argue with the officer at the roadside. If you disagree with the citation or the officer’s actions, discuss it later with the law enforcement agency, an attorney or the judge.
Published in the Shelby Star, NC - June 20, 2008
State Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. was 24 years old and had just started a family. We have no way of knowing how many times he might have thought about getting home to his loved ones Tuesday night. We can conclude that he
didn't let such thoughts get in the way of doing his job.
A little after 10 p.m., he stopped a pickup truck towing a car on I-40 west of Asheville because the car and the trailer lacked registration. Shortly afterward, the trooper - the husband and father - was shot twice. Police have charged a Florida man with at least 19 criminal convictions in his death.
The natural reaction? What a waste. What a tragic waste.
You could say that about the loss of Mr. Blanton's life, but not of his life's work.
Mr. Blanton's job was to keep people safe. For the purpose of maintaining our safety, he willingly and routinely put his own in jeopardy.
Few among us possess that kind of courage or that level of dedication to the public good. Even fewer possess both. We find those who do among Mr. Blanton's Highway Patrol colleagues, or walking a beat in a neighborhood, or putting out house fires, or driving ambulances, or serving in the armed forces.
David Shawn Blanton Jr.'s name will join those of 58 other troopers who died in the line of duty since the North Carolina Highway patrol came into existence in 1929. His loved ones have our sympathy. Like all the other members of that rare breed, Mr. Blanton himself has our gratitude.
Published in the WYFF News, NC - June 18, 2008
Passer-by Calls For Help; Suspect In Custody
CANTON, N.C. -- A North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper was shot and killed late Tuesday during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 -- and hours after his son's death, the trooper's father talked to WYFF News 4 about his son.
The Highway Patrol said 24-year-old trooper David Blanton was conducting a traffic stop in the eastbound lanes near exit 31 at about 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday
Highway Patrol Lt. A.J. Dickey said, "We don't know why he stopped him. He got the operator of the car outside and from eyewitnesses, they were seen talking along side his patrol car."
Then Blanton was shot twice.
Witnesses along I-40 not only saw the shots fired they saw the suspect's car. They passed that information along to 911 dispatchers who relayed it to officers at the scene.
Crews took Blanton to Mission Hospital in Asheville.
Just 20 minutes after the shooting, suspect 37-year-old Edwardo Wong II was taken into custody.
Troopers followed Wong when he left I-40 at exit 33. They arrested him on Newfound Road and Scruggs Circle Road at 10:40 a.m. after some sort of confrontation.
Haywood County Sheriff Tom Alexander said, "There is some speculation that shots were fired. Nobody was hit. They weren't fired by officers. (They are) believed fired by the suspect."
They said Wong had three guns in his truck when he was arrested, one of which was Blanton's weapon.
This was the first fatal assault on a trooper since 1997. Seven other North Carolina Highway Patrol troopers have died in the line of duty since that time, but all as a result of traffic related incidents. To see a list of those officers in the Upstate and mountains who have lost their lives in the line of duty, click here
Wong is being held without bond in the Haywood County Jail.
Wong has an extensive criminal record with convictions for several violent crimes including two for aggravated assault and resisting an officer with violence. His record also shows that he escaped from custody in Hillsborough County, Fla. in 1997.
Fellow troopers are mourning the loss of Blanton had nothing but praise for him.
Dickey said, "Just an all around great kid, two years on, he was changing the world -- just a great kid."
Alexander said, "It's a bad day for Haywood County and the state of North Carolina. He was a young officer who did a good job and everybody's prayers and thoughts need to be with his family."
Trooper's Father Talks About His Son
Trooper Blanton's father, David Blanton, Sr., spoke with WYFF News 4's Sean Muserallo about his son, who he said went by his middle name, Shawn.
David Blanton said his son's wife, Michela, gave birth to their son 18 days ago. The infant was born prematurely.
He said Michela was at Mission Hospital Tuesday night when her husband was brought into the emergency room. One of the troopers went up to ICU where she was with their baby.
Blanton said his daughter-in-law was originally told that her husband's injuries weren't serious, but by the time she reached the emergency room, he was in critical condition.
Blanton said because doctors were working to save the trooper, his wife was not let into the emergency room to him before he died and she did not have the chance to say goodbye to him.
Blanton said his son was a talented athlete. He played football and wrestled at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, N.C.
His dad said he gave back to the school by volunteering as the JV softball coach. Blanton said the high school did not have a team for years until his son volunteered to coach the girls.
Published in the Burlington Times News, NC - June 18, 2008
None of the N.C. Highway Patrol troopers who enforce the law on Alamance County roads knew the trooper shot to death Tuesday night on Interstate 40 near Asheville.
But the death of 24-year-old Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. impacts many of them as if they did.
"It's like something happened to a family member," said Sgt. J.B. Sessoms, who works in the Alamance County office.
Alamance County troopers haven't attended an official debriefing - typically held after law enforcement officers, firefighters or rescue workers face a traumatic event - but they were talking about it Wednesday.
"As the guys come into the office, they want to know what's going on," Sessoms said. "They talk about it. That's our outlet: talking to each other."
Blanton, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was shot during an altercation after he stopped a vehicle at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday in the eastbound lanes of I-40 in Haywood County, said Lt. Everett Clendenin, spokesman for the N.C. Highway Patrol, in a written release.
Edwardo Wong II, 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla., is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Blanton. Wong is in custody at the Haywood County Detention Center.
Blanton stopped Wong's vehicle because he was towing a passenger car. A fight occurred between Blanton and Wong. Blanton was shot twice - once in the shoulder and once in the wrist. Wong allegedly removed Blanton's weapon and fled the area. He was located later. Law enforcement officers found narcotics and weapons in his vehicle, according to the release.
Troopers are taught to use caution when approaching a vehicle. The incident is a reminder of the dangers of the job.
"It brings it home that it could have happened any time to any of us," Sessoms said. "... I know every day that I put my uniform on, I know that the job is dangerous. But when something like this happens, you know just how dangerous it really is."
The work involves stopping a lot of cars and dealing with a lot of people - most of them are strangers. Troopers are taught to follow a mental checklist about approaching a vehicle, following protocol and standing in the correct place.
But knowing the rules and even following them to a T, doesn't automatically mean law enforcement officers will remain safe.
"If you think about the dangers every second, it would make you not want to get out of the car," Sessoms said. "Every time the blue lights come on, we put our lives in somebody else's hands."
Blanton is the 59th trooper to die in the line of duty since the highway patrol was formed in 1929. The last time a trooper was "fatally assaulted" was in 1997, according to the release. Sessoms said that no troopers serving in Alamance County have ever been killed in the line of duty.
Published in the Associated Press - 6/18/08
CANTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities charged a Florida man with first-degree murder Wednesday after a state Highway Patrol trooper was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in western North Carolina.
Edwardo Wong II, 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla., is in custody at the Haywood County Detention Center, about 20 miles west of Asheville. He does not yet have an attorney but is expected to appear with a lawyer at an initial court hearing Wednesday, said jail administrator Lt. Lucrecia Ray.
Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr., 24, was shot after he stopped a vehicle in the eastbound lanes of I-40 near exit 31 about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, said Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin. Blanton later died at Mission Hospitals in Asheville.
Authorities said the shooting occurred after Blanton stopped a vehicle that was towing a passenger car for an unknown traffic violation.
Clendenin said Blanton was hit by two shots, one non life-threatening. The fatal shot entered his torso in an area not protected by his bulletproof vest, then struck organs inside his body.
Clendenin said Wong fled the scene after the shooting with the trooper's sidearm, but it was not yet clear if that was the gun used to kill Blanton. Patrol First Sgt. S.D. Greene said a passerby called police to report that Blanton had been shot.
Wong was arrested soon after by Haywood County sheriff's deputies and Canton police; he had fled in his vehicle and was tracked down near a highway not far from where the shooting occurred. Clendenin said police later found weapons and narcotics in Wong's vehicle.
Clendenin said the Wong was from Florida and was driving from Tennessee.
Records from the Florida Department of Corrections indicate Wong has 19 criminal convictions dating to 1996 that include armed burglary, assault with a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, sale and possession of marijuana and escape. He was incarcerated in Florida from 1998 to 2005.
Blanton was a native of Sylva and had been on the force for two years. He was married and had one child. He is the 59th trooper to die in the line of duty since the North Carolina Highway Patrol was formed in 1929, and the first to be killed since 1997.
"Incidents like this remind us of what a dangerous profession law enforcement is," said Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety Bryan E. Beatty in a statement.
Published in the Charlotte Observer, NC - 6/18/08
BlantonA 24-year-old N.C. Highway Patrol trooper who became a father for the first time two weeks ago was shot and killed Tuesday night while making a traffic stop on Interstate 40 west of Asheville.
A Florida man with a lengthy criminal record was arrested a short time after the shooting and was charged with murder.
Trooper David Blanton Jr., who joined the Highway Patrol in May 2006, died at an Asheville hospital after being shot twice by a man he had pulled over, police say. Officials say he is the first N.C. Highway Patrol trooper to be killed in the line of duty in 11 years.
Edwardo Wong II, 37, a Florida resident with a lengthy criminal record, was arrested a few miles from the shooting site. Court records filed Wednesday afternoon indicate the suspect also fired on Haywood County sheriff's deputies who were trying to arrest him.
Lt. Everett Clendenin, a spokesman for the Highway Patrol, said Blanton was killed after stopping a vehicle in the eastbound lane of I-40 about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday. It happened near the city of Canton, in Haywood County.
Clendenin said Blanton had stopped a 1996 GMC truck that was towing a car. The Asheville Citizen-Times says court papers made public Wednesday afternoon indicate Blanton pulled over the vehicle because the trailer and the car on the trailer did not have license plates. Blanton got the driver out of the vehicle, but an altercation ensued. During that altercation, Clendenin said, Blanton was shot twice.
It is not clear whether the suspect used the trooper's gun or another weapon.
Police say the suspect lingered at the scene for a few minutes, apparently looking for something in the trooper's vehicle. Several witnesses called 911 and reported the trooper had been shot. Police say the suspect drove east a short distance on I-40, then got off at exit 31, turning left on N.C. 215. Law enforcement personnel from the Highway Patrol, the Haywood County Sheriff's Office, and the Canton Police Department responded.
Police spotted the vehicle a short distance from I-40, off Newfound Road, and took the suspect into custody. There are several reports that the suspect fired shots at police who were trying to stop him.
Wong, of Ormond Beach, Fla., was charged with first-degree murder and had an initial court hearing Wednesday afternoon. He could face the death penalty, authorities say. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for July 9. Wong is being held without bond.
Police found narcotics and weapons in Wong's truck, Clendenin said.
Police say the suspect has a long criminal record that includes felony assault on a law enforcement officer, drug violations, and possession of a firearm.
Blanton was from the town of Sylva and graduated from Smoky Mountain High School in 2002. He was married and had one child, Clendenin said.
A Sylva-area resident told the Observer on Wednesday afternoon that Blanton lived in Cherokee, in Jackson County, near where he grew up. He coached the junior varsity girls' softball team this past spring.
"A bunch of kids here are devastated," the resident said.
Blanton is the 59th trooper to die in duty since the N.C. Highway Patrol was formed in 1929.
Published in the Leland Tribune, NC - June 18, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C.—Trooper David Blanton Jr. was shot and killed during a traffic stop late Tuesday evening in Haywood County. Edwardo Wong II, age 37, of Ormond Beach, Fll. has been charged with the crime and is being held without bail in the Haywood County jail.
“The patrol family has lost a member and the state of North Carolina has lost a dedicated public servant,” said Colonel W. Fletcher Clay, Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Trooper Blanton was patrolling a stretch of I-40 Tuesday night when he pulled over a vehicle that was towing a passenger car, which was operated by Wong. During the stop, an altercation occurred between Trooper Blanton and Wong and Blanton was fatally shot. The suspect then reportedly took Blanton’s weapon and fled. A passing motorist called for assistance.
Blanton was taken to Mission Hospital in Asheville and later died.
Wong was apprehended later that night by local law enforcement officials who discovered narcotics and weapons in Wong’s vehicle. He is currently being charged with First Degree Murder.
Wong has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for felony assault on law enforcement officers, felony drug violations and felony possession of a firearm, among others. He reportedly told officials he was travelling from Tennessee.
“Incidents like this remind us of what a dangerous profession law enforcement is,” said Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety Bryan E. Beatty. “I ask all North Carolinians to say a prayer tonight on behalf of all our law enforcement families.”
Trooper Blanton is remembered as a dedicated public servant active in his community. He was one of the first Cherokees to work for the N.C. Highway Patrol. He is survived by his wife and infant child.
Published in the Associated Press - June 18, 2008
CANTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities charged a Florida man with murder Wednesday in the shooting of a North Carolina trooper during a traffic stop the night before.
Edwardo Wong II, 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla., was charged with the first-degree murder of Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr., said Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin.
Blanton, a two-year veteran of the highway patrol from Sylva, was the first North Carolina trooper to die in the line of duty since 1997.
"Incidents like this remind us of what a dangerous profession law enforcement is," Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety Brian E. Beatty said in a news release.
Wong does not yet have an attorney but is expected to appear with a lawyer at an initial court hearing Wednesday, said jail administrator Lt. Lucrecia Ray.
Blanton, 24, was shot twice Tuesday night on Interstate 40 after he stopped Wong's vehicle, which was towing a passenger car, Clendenin said. The trooper died at a hospital in Asheville.
The violation that prompted the traffic stop wasn't immediately known.
Authorities said a passer-by called police to report that Blanton had been shot and Wong was arrested shortly after the shooting by nearby Haywood County sheriff's deputies and Canton police.
Clendenin said Wong fled the scene with Blanton's sidearm, but it was not yet clear if it was used to kill the trooper. Authorities found weapons and narcotics in Wong's vehicle, the spokesman said.
Wong has 19 criminal convictions dating to 1996 that include armed burglary, assault with a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, sale and possession of marijuana and escape, according to records from the Florida Department of Corrections.
Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - June 18, 2008
CANTON – An N.C. State Highway Patrol trooper was killed in a shooting during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Canton on Tuesday night, authorities said.
Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. was shot twice, said Lt. A.J. Dickey, with the Highway Patrol in Asheville. Blanton was taken to Mission Hospitals where he later died.
Blanton, 24, of Cherokee, was a two-year veteran of the patrol. He was married and had a two-week-old child.
A passerby reported that Blanton had been shot. Emergency crews arrived shortly after receiving a 911 call.
Blanton had reported that he had stopped a vehicle at 10:20 p.m.
Dickey said Blanton stopped the eastbound vehicle for a traffic violation, but it’s unknown what the violation was. Blanton got the driver out of the vehicle and an altercation between the driver and Blanton ensued. The man shot Blanton twice, once in the shoulder and another bullet grazed his wrist.
It’s unclear whose gun the man used to shoot the trooper, Dickey said. Blanton was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Lt. Everett Clendinin with the Highway Patrol said he didn't know whether Blanton pulled his weapon.
The suspect was carrying weapons and authorities recovered narcotics after his arrest, according to Clendinin.
The suspect lingered on the scene, apparently looking for something on Blanton's person before fleeing the scene in his vehicle, exiting I-40 on exit 31.
He turned left on N.C. Highway 215 where Haywood County Sheriff’s deputies and Canton police officers located him a short distance up the road, Dickey said.
The suspect has been charged with first degree murder and is being held at the Haywood County jail without bond.
Authorities have not released the man's name, but Dickey said he is from Florida and was driving from Tennessee.
"This was a very callous act. He is not showing any remorse for his act," said Clendinin.
Dickey described Blanton as a family man and a "very active trooper."
Blanton grew up in Sylva, where he graduated from Smoky Mountain High School in 2002.
"Trooper Blanton was a brave individual and we all know that this could happen," Dickey said. "But you’ve just got to put it in the back of your head."
Blanton is the first trooper in North Carolina to be fatally assaulted since 1997. He is the 59th trooper to die in the line of duty since the patrol was formed in 1929.
The State Bureau of Investigation early this morning was on the scene of the shooting at eastbound exit 31 and was investigating.
"He was changing the world," Dickey said. "He was just a great kid."
In Memory of Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr.
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