Trial pushed back for man accused of shooting, killing Richmond officer
The trial for the man accused of shooting Richmond Police Officer Seara Burton has been pushed back.
Phillip Lee, 47, of Richmond, appeared in Wayne County Circuit Court Monday morning for a pretrial hearing.
News Center 7 called the court and officials said Lee’s attorney requested a continuance for his trial, which was set to start Nov. 1. Prosecutors did not object and the continuance was granted, pushing the start date for Lee’s trial to Dec. 27.
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Lee 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.
Lee has been accused of shooting Burton, 28, on Aug. 10 during a traffic stop.
Burton was taken to Miami Valley Hospital after the shooting. After spending three weeks at Miami Valley Hospital, Burton’s injuries were described as “unrecoverable” and she was taken off life support on Sept. 1. She was transported to a hospice facility in Richmond on Sept. 3 and died two weeks later on Sept. 18.
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After her passing, investigators expect to charge Lee with murder. News Center 7 check Thursday morning and new charges have not be filed.
News Center 7′s John Bedell was in Richmond Wednesday and asked Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman if his office was working to file murder charges against Lee. He declined to comment on the case.
We’ll continue to provide updates as we learn more.
