Show Officer Wounded Assailant Killed In Thompson Gun Fight Utah State Highway Patrolman Patrolman Pa Pa- Scott Skidmore of Moab was listed in satisfactory satisfactory tory condition at the Allen Memorial hospital recovering recovering recover recover- ing from two bullet wounds and his assailant lay deao In tn the wake of a range close-range i gun battle at Thompson Tuesday night Ralph Raph Benson of the Highway Patrol Identified the dead gunman as Joseph Camille Camme Romera 20 Pueblo Colo Romero was hit twice by a magnum fired by officer Skidmore while tho the officer was reeling from two wounds at the hands of his assailant t. t The patrolman was hit Inthe in inthe inthe the left leU side and left leU leg when he refused to surrender surrender surrender der himself to his own handcuffs handcuffs handcuffs hand hand- cuffs threw them in the gunman's face and drew his own gun Romero Homero fired first but either shot from Irom the officers officer's gun would have been fatal Benson said Romero was a passenger in a suspected stolen car stopped by the state trooper for lor excessive speed near Thompson Three other men are being held here in connection connection con con- with the case They are Lee Minton 32 Canon City Colo Joseph A. A A lewski 20 and RIchard Richard Richard Ri RI- chard Earl Willson 21 Colbran Colbran Col Col- bran Colo Benson reported that Patrolman Skidmore was returning returning re reo turning from C Colorado loraM after taking a subject there for lor medical treatment when he spotted a late model Pontiac Pontiac Pon- Pon tiac traveling at excessive speed peed He pursued the car driven by Minton and halted it east of Thompson at pm p.m. The driver of the vehicle was unable to produce proof of ownership but assured the officer that it belonged to his boss and he Was vas using it only for a sales trip The car was registered in the I name of B B. B A A. A Backerman Farmington NM Trooper Skidmore said when he suggested suggested sug sug- calling Backerman the driver appeared nervous However he lie drove the cu ca CM ahead of the officer to Thompson where Skidmore placed the call Backerman It was learned had moved to Las which obviously surprised Minton The call established that the car had been sold by its listed owner who also had knowledge that it had been later stolen from a aused aused aused used car lot in Santa Fe Fo He lIe agreed to call the car cal dealer and tell him the car had been located in Utah When the officer came out i of I the he phone booth he faced a drawn gun a 25 calibre caUble automatic held on him by bythe bythe bythe the passenger Romero Benson said that the patrolman patrol man tried to tell the man manto manto manto to put the gun away and avoid more mOle trouble but was ordered to remove his handcuffs hand hand- handcuffs cuffs from his belt and clip them on his right wrist Instead Skidmore threw the handcuffs at Romero and went for his own wea wea- pon Romero fIred flied and Skidmore's Skidmore's Skid Skid- mores more's gun replied d almost at the same instant witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses said Both fired twice but both of the officers officer's shots were telling ones Romero was shot just above the heart by the heavy heavy hea hea- I Ivy vy calibre revolver A second shot went through the arm armand armand armand and torso The wounded officer officer of of- radioed Monticello for help while holding his gun on the driver Minton The Theother Theother Theother other occupants of the car handcuffed Minton and forced forced forced for for- ced him to lay flat on the ground An ambulance front Moab brought the officer to fo 1 Moab b and Sheriffs Sheriff's deputies brought in the prisoners and Will Willson on 1 claimed they were hitchhikers hitch hitchhikers hikers and volunteered to to sia stay in Mo Moab b to testify I Benson stated They told the supervising officer they believed believed believed be be- Patrolman Skidmore had saved their lives Minton admitted theft of the car and an attempted robbery of a store in San Bernardino Calif He claimed claim claim- ed too to be frightened of Romero and said he tried to stop the younger man from shooting Minton is held uner Dyer Act charges genson said From his hospital bed Wednesday morning the patrolman patrolman pa pa- said he knew when he walked out of f the phone booth into Romeros Romero's gun gunthe gunthe the two hitchhikers were on his side Romero said Get his gun and Minton reached reach reach- ed cd for it and Skidmore swung away After the shooting he held his gun on Minton and asked the other two to handcuff Minton He said they didn't know how to work the handcuffs handcuffs hand hand- cuffs and had to figure it out Then he asked them to toradio toradio toradio radio to Monticello for help but they didn't know how to use the radio In the end he radioed himself then sat satin satin satin in a chair brought out by bya a cafe owner holding a gun on the men until aid arrived z r 1 1 r t f Trooper Scott Skidmore Is In good condition in the the Allen Allen Memorial hospital in hi Moab after being wounded In a gun gurr gunfight fight Tuesday night His wife Phillis shown here har was informed of the narrow escape her husband encountered after he was was resting safely In the hospital The Tha h have three children Joan 5 Kelly 4 and Kent 9 months |