Trooper David Blanton Jr. one of NC finest a Fallen Hero!!!!!

Trooper David Blanton Jr. (24) was shot and killed during a traffic stop
Filed Under: Shot
Published: Jun 19, 2008 @ 3:00 PM

David Blanton (24)

Date: Jun 17, 2008
Cause of Death: Shot
Location: Canton, North Carolina
URL: go to their myspace
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Advertise on this site A 37-year-old Florida man could face the death penalty for the slaying of a Highway Patrol trooper, a judge said today.

Edwardo Wong II was in court for a brief hearing this afternoon. Judge Monica Leslie explained the charge against him and the maximum penalty of death by lethal injection.

He is charged with murder in the shooting of Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 Tuesday night.

The judge today set a July 9 date for Wong's probable cause hearing, where prosecutors will offer evidence to show why they should be allowed to proceed with their case. Wong will be held in jail without bond until then.

Court papers made public after the hearing show the trooper may have stopped Wong for a license plate violation. He was pulling a U-Haul car trailer with no license plate that was carrying a Nissan Altima that also had no license plate, according to State Bureau of Investigation affidavits.

Wong also fired twice at a Haywood County Sheriff's detective after shooting Blanton, according to the court papers.

Haywood County sheriff's deputies and Canton police arrested Wong, of Ormond Beach, Fla., at Scruggs Circle in Canton, off Newfound Road, after spotting his vehicle on the road near the shooting scene.

Traffic stop at 10:20 p.m.
Blanton reported stopping Wong's 1996 GMC pickup truck at 10:20 p.m. He got Wong out of the vehicle, and an altercation ensued. Wong shot Blanton twice, once in the shoulder, and another bullet grazed his wrist, authorities said.

Emergency dispatchers received a "barrage" of 911 calls around 10:24 p.m. Deputies and police officers took Wong into custody within 20 minutes of the calls, locating his vehicle based on callers' descriptions, Haywood County Sheriff Tom Alexander said.

Alexander said deputies on the scene reported being fired upon, but they did not return fire, and his office is still trying to confirm if the suspect fired on officers before his arrest.

Blanton was taken to Mission Hospitals, where he later died.

Suspect had trooper's gun
Investigators recovered three weapons from Wong, including Blanton's service handgun. They will be conducting ballistics tests to determine which gun killed Blanton.

Lt. Everett Clendinin of the Highway Patrol said Wong lingered at the shooting scene, nonchalantly searching over Blanton's person before fleeing.

"The whole thing is just a sickening act," he said.

Clendinin said investigators also discovered narcotics in Wong's vehicle.

Suspect has long record
Wong has a lengthy criminal history in Florida, including convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer, felony drug violations, felony possession of firearms and others dating to 1994, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. The state of Florida has posted information about Wong's arrest record on its Web site: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/InmateReleases/detail.asp?Bookmark=6&From=list&SessionID=106104014

Blanton, 24, of Cherokee, was a two-year veteran of the patrol. He was married and had a 2-week-old child




REST IN PEACE TROOPER Blaton Jr. and our prayers will be with you family.