Virginia fugitive search ends in Texas

By Tracy Bell

Published: April 7, 2008

RICHMOND — The search for a southwest Virginia man accused of shooting a Virginia State Police trooper has come to an end. 

A U.S. Marshal’s Service SWAT team captured Steven Dale Branscome, 32, on Sunday after a brief standoff just after midnight at a New Boston, Texas hotel, according to the Virginia State Police.

Police have been searching for Branscome since he allegedly shot Virginia State Police trooper R.W. Hughes in the neck just inside the West Virginia line across from the Giles County line in Virginia. Hughes had been pursuing Branscome on foot on March 28 after a brief vehicle pursuit near the Glen Lyn community in Giles County, according to the state police.

Branscome had been driving a stolen Ford Tempo. When he tried to escape Hughes, he crashed the car into a rock and ran into a nearby wooded area before allegedly shooting the trooper during Hughes’ foot pursuit, according to the state police. 

Trooper Hughes was not seriously injured and has since returned to work, according to the state police.

While Branscome was at large, the state police offered up to a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The state police also stepped up its search in the Floyd County area last week. 

“This is the safe resolution that we were hoping for,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police superintendent. “By increasing police presence in the Floyd County area, we were able to force Branscome out into the open and away from the support network that enabled him to elude investigators for the past week.”

“The Virginia State Police wish to express our sincere appreciation to those citizens in Floyd County who provided us with assistance and information during the course of the investigation. We are also most grateful to the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, West Virginia State Police and the multitude of local police and deputy sheriffs that aided us in this extensive search and investigation,” he added.

According to the state police, investigators were able to locate Branscome in “through the use of advanced tracking methods” in New Boston, located in northeast Texas near the city of Texarkana.

Branscome first refused to cooperate but then surrendered without incident a short time after the SWAT team made entry, according to the Virginia State Police.

Branscome is being held at the Bowie County, Texas jail pending extradition.

A 1999 Chevrolet van stolen from a Statesville, N.C., church April 2 was also recovered in the hotel parking lot in New Boston.

Branscome is facing numerous charges in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, including grand larceny for at least four auto thefts.

In West Virginia, Branscome is facing charges of malicious wounding and wanton endangerment related to the shooting of a Virginia State Police trooper.