MEN SHOT BY TROOPER SENTENCED

One received 8 years and the other got 7 years on drug-related charges and
for eluding police.

Two men who were shot in their car by a state trooper after attempting to
flee from him on Route I-95 in Ewing 2years ago were sentenced to prison
yesterday in Mercer County Superior Court. Under a plea arrangement, Gary
Anderson, 26, of North Miami, Fla., was sentenced to 8years and Richard
Thomas, 27, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to seven years by Superior Court
Judge Paul Koenig. The two pleaded guilty in early September to charges of
eluding police and possession of drugs with intent to distribute.According
to police, state trooper Sean O'Brien pulled over a car for making an
unsafe lane change and having a defective light as it was traveling south
on I-95 near Trenton on the night of Aug. 27, 1996. O'Brien asked the
driver, Anderson, to get out of the car after he and Thomas said they had
no identification.

As O'Brien walked to his patrol car, Anderson bolted back into his vehicle.
O'Brien ran to the car and grabbed Anderson through the window as the car
pulled away, police said. As the car drove along the shoulder of the
highway, Anderson and Thomas tried to grab O'Brien's gun, police said.
During the struggle, O'Brien fired three shots, wounding both men.

Thomas was shot in the left arm. Anderson was shot in the right thigh and
right hand. O'Brien suffered minor injuries from being dragged about 100
yards.

Police found 60 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $150,000 in the
car's trunk, as well as two loaded 9mm handguns near the dashboard.

Prosecutors said Anderson received a longer sentence because he was the
driver of the car.

In August, Anderson and Thomas filed separate $1 million federal lawsuits,
saying their civil liberties were violated when they were shot by O'Brien.
Both contended that they were pulled over, detained, verbally abused and
assaulted, all without cause.

The lawsuit "is a travesty," said Lt. Col. Robert Dunlop, executive officer
of the state police. "The information put into the complaintis completely
erroneous. I'm just sorry the trooper had to go through this. He is the
victim here."