Suspect Wounded In Shootout With Pittsburgh Police Arrested

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A suspect who was struck five times in a shootout with police several weeks ago was on the run until he was arrested Friday.

Monte Blair, 39, looks just fine. He walks okay. He can talk. He doesn't appear to be in pain, but police say he's been carrying the wounds from a shootout with police since September 9th.

"He was shot in the right shoulder, several times in the right arm," Pittsburgh Police Lt. Kevin Kraus said. "And we believe he has one gunshot wound to the right side of his torso."

Police say Blair suffered those wounds when he was shooting at another guy and police attempted to break up the shooting. That's when Blair was shot.

"Mr. Blair drove directly towards their vehicle, fired multiple shots at officers who in turn exchanged gunfire with Mr. Blair," Kraus said. "He evaded capture that night."

It happened at the intersection of Zenith and Fleury Way in Homewood. Police were pretty certain they shot Blair, but they believed they'd find him a lot sooner than they did.

"We did believe that Mr. Blair's vehicle was shot and that Mr. Blair was shot as well," Kraus said. "However he never did turn up at any hospitals."

And it remains a mystery how Blair could have walked around with at least five gunshot wounds in him for nearly three weeks. Blair says he's okay.

"I'm fine," he said.

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