Man accused of shooting Richmond Officer extradited to Indiana

DAYTON — The man police say shot a Richmond Police Officer last month is back in Indiana.

Phillip Lee, 47, of Richmond, is currently in custody at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, an Indiana Department of Correction official confirmed Wednesday morning.

Lee appeared in a Montgomery County courtroom Tuesday morning, marking his first court appearance since being released from the hospital. He appeared before a judge in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court and waived his right to an extradition hearing, allowing Indiana authorities to take him into custody and bring him back to Indiana.

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Lee has been accused of shooting Officer Seara Burton, 28, on Aug. 10 during a traffic stop.

Other officers on the scene returned fire and Lee fled on foot, according to police. After a brief foot chase, Lee was apprehended and treated for gunshot wounds by the officers. He was later taken to Miami Valley Hospital and remained there until he was discharged Saturday. He was then booked in the Montgomery County Jail.

Burton was critically injured in 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 that is where she remains as of Tuesday.

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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 was on parole at the time of the shooting. He will now remain in custody in Indiana for violating his parole. His maximum release date for the parole violation would be April 2, 2024, according to an Indiana Department of Corrections official.

We will continue updating this story.

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