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Unified police work credited in solving cop shooting

The investigation into the shooting of a Roanoke Rapids police officer on Wednesday was a good example of multiple law enforcement agencies working together, those involved said Friday.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The investigation into the shooting of a Roanoke Rapids police officer on Wednesday was a good example of multiple law enforcement agencies working together, those involved said Friday.

Officer John Taylor was shot three times during a traffic stop along Interstate 95 on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say two suspects fled the scene on foot and hid until authorities found them the next day in some woods near the crime scene.

"It’s a good example of how all our agencies, both local and state, came together,” Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jeff Gordon said.

Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Jeff Hinton said his officers, Halifax County sheriff’s deputies, Highway Patrol troopers and State Bureau of Investigation agents all helped assist in the case and the subsequent arrest of the alleged shooter’s fiancée.

"We have had support from the state of Virginia and areas as far away as Goldsboro and Raleigh," Hinton said.

Michael Edgerton, 38, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Renee Phillips, 43, faces several charges, including accessory after the fact to attempted murder.

Technology – including the VIPER statewide radio system – and a resident who recognized the suspect vehicle from a media report also helped solve the case.

Taylor was “doing well” Friday evening and was expected to make a full recovery, Hinton said.

“Everything is looking up. He’s making improvements all the time,” he said.

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