Make wishtv.com your home page

Man charged in murder of Richmond police officer makes court appearance

RICHMOND, Ind. (WISH) — The suspect charged with the murder of a Richmond police officer took part in a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning at the Wayne County Courthouse.

Online court records show 47-year-old Phillip Lee appeared before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge April Drake.

Lee is accused of shooting 28-year-old Richmond K-9 officer Seara Burton in the head during a traffic stop on Aug. 10. Burton died of her injuries on Sept. 18, just over two weeks after she was taken off life support.

Police say Lee pulled out a gun and started firing after Burton and her police dog arrived at the scene to assist with the traffic stop.

Prosecutors added one count of murder to the case against Lee earlier this month. He also faces two counts of attempted murder, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and several drug possession charges.

Lee has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman in October requested the death penalty for Lee. A judge previously issued a gag order in the case.

Crime Map
Use Search Bars Above To Search Crime Data