12-08-2010, 01:31 PM
Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr.
North Carolina Highway Patrol
North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: G-540
Blanton was the first member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to become a state trooper.
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Convicted of first degree murder
Trooper David Blanton was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on I-40 near Canton, North Carolina. A struggle ensued during the stop and he was fatally shot.
The suspect took Trooper Blanton's service weapon and fled the scene. He was apprehended a short time later by deputies from the Haywood County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Canton Police Department. He was subsequently charged with capital murder.
The suspect was convicted of first degree murder on October 14, 2010 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Trooper Blanton had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 2 years and had previously served as a dispatcher for the Cherokee Tribal Police Department. He is survived by his wife and 2-week-old son.
Trooper Blanton's son, Tye, passed away in October 2008 at the age of 4 months.
The young son of a slain North Carolina highway patrolman was laid to rest Monday afternoon.
Four-and-a-half-month-old Tye Blanton was surrounded by hundreds of people as his family said their final goodbyes.
Tye was born prematurely and had several health problems he struggled with from the start.
His father Shawn was shot and killed during a traffic stop along I-40 earlier this year.
Trooper Shawn Blanton was an enrolled member of the Cherokee, making his son also part of the tribe that said goodbye to the little boy today.
Inside a tiny casket marked with is name in Cherokee was a little boy who never weighed more than five pounds.
The jury convicted Wong on Oct. 14 in the shooting death of N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. But jurors could not reach a decision on whether Wong should be put to death or receive a life sentence. As a result, a judge sentenced Wong to life in prison on Nov. 8.
North Carolina Highway Patrol
North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: G-540
Blanton was the first member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to become a state trooper.
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Convicted of first degree murder
Trooper David Blanton was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on I-40 near Canton, North Carolina. A struggle ensued during the stop and he was fatally shot.
The suspect took Trooper Blanton's service weapon and fled the scene. He was apprehended a short time later by deputies from the Haywood County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Canton Police Department. He was subsequently charged with capital murder.
The suspect was convicted of first degree murder on October 14, 2010 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Trooper Blanton had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 2 years and had previously served as a dispatcher for the Cherokee Tribal Police Department. He is survived by his wife and 2-week-old son.
Trooper Blanton's son, Tye, passed away in October 2008 at the age of 4 months.
The young son of a slain North Carolina highway patrolman was laid to rest Monday afternoon.
Four-and-a-half-month-old Tye Blanton was surrounded by hundreds of people as his family said their final goodbyes.
Tye was born prematurely and had several health problems he struggled with from the start.
His father Shawn was shot and killed during a traffic stop along I-40 earlier this year.
Trooper Shawn Blanton was an enrolled member of the Cherokee, making his son also part of the tribe that said goodbye to the little boy today.
Inside a tiny casket marked with is name in Cherokee was a little boy who never weighed more than five pounds.
The jury convicted Wong on Oct. 14 in the shooting death of N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. But jurors could not reach a decision on whether Wong should be put to death or receive a life sentence. As a result, a judge sentenced Wong to life in prison on Nov. 8.