New details on the shooting of a man by a state trooper Monday night in Kirkwood. It happened on Route 17 as a trooper tried to stop a man driving a car he wasn’t supposed to be in. There was gunfire…Dead is 30-year-old Nicholas Philhower. Trooper Timothy Conklin, a 28-year veteran, was wounded. Troopers said in a press release that Philhower observed Trooper Conklin approaching and took evasive action, traveling through the median at the intersection with Interstate 81, and then onto State Route 17 east bound, coming to a stop shortly thereafter. At that point Philhower, who was allegedly armed with a military style semi-automatic rifle, immediately opened fire on Trooper Conklin through the rear window of the vehicle. Trooper Conklin returned fire through the windshield of his troop car as Philhower exited his vehicle and continued to advance and fire at the trooper. Trooper Conklin was able to reload his weapon, exit the troop car and continue to exchange fire with his attacker. During this exchange, Philhower was struck several times and died at the scene. Trooper Conklin sustained a minor shrapnel injury to his upper right arm and was taken to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City where he was treated and released.
