Man accused of critically injuring Richmond officer in shooting facing attempted murder charges
The man Richmond Police say shot and critically injured one of their officers is facing attempted murder charges.
Phillip Lee, 47, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, three counts of drug possession and one count of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, according to Wayne County court documents. His bond has been set at $1 million.
Officers from the Richmond Police Narcotics Unit working near the 400 block of North 17th Street Wednesday when they spotted Lee, who they knew to be a drug offender, on motor scooter, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The officers saw Lee go down an alley and stop at a detached garage to talk with a person for a short period of time.
Due to the “observed high amount of traffic stopping at the detached garage,” members of the Narcotics Unit believed a drug transaction may have taken place and ordered a traffic stop on Lee.
The traffic stop took place in front of Lee’s apartment on N. 12th Street and a Richmond Police K9 officer was called to the scene, court records indicate. That officer was Seara Burton. Once on scene, Burton’s canine indicated the presence of narcotics in the scooter.
A narcotics officer video recorded the traffic stop and Lee can be seen on video puling out a handgun and firing multiple shots and Burton and Richmond Officer Austin Adams. The affidavit indicates Burton was shot once in the head and Adams “narrowly missed being shot in the head.”
Burton was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in “very critical condition.” News Center 7 checked Friday morning and Burton was still listed as being in critical condition, a hospital spokesperson confirmed.
The video, records say, shows Lee shoot at another officer out of frame as officers fire shots at him. Lee then ran away from the scene. Shortly after that Lee and Richmond Police engaged in a “gunfight” as he tried to run into his apartment. He was shot and caught by police on the front porch of his apartment.
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Indiana State Police investigated the scene and found the gun, a black Ruger Max 9 9mm, they say Lee used near his porch. Records show it had a 10 round magazine in it.
When investigating Lee’s scooter, seven syringes, two bags of what tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine, one bag of what tested presumptively positive for cocaine and one bag of what tested presumptively positive for heroin.
Lee was taken to a local hospital for his injuries. On Friday, Lee was listed an inmate in the Wayne County Jail, according to online
