WAYNE COUNTY — The man accused of shooting and critically injuring Richmond Police Officer Seara Burton made his first court appearance Friday.
WRTV was inside the courtroom as Phillip Lee, 47, appeared virtually from his hospital bed and entered a preliminary not guilty plea.
Lee was also appointed an attorney during the 11 minute court appearance. His bail remains at $1.5 million.
Lee told the court he is not currently employed and has no income. When asked when his last job was, he said "it’s been a long time, 2000-something, I don’t know. I really don’t remember.”
Lee now faces a total of three attempted murder charges — one in the shooting of Burton, who remains hospitalized, and two other Richmond officers who were at the scene the night of Aug. 10.
On Wednesday, Richmond Police said Burton remains in critical condition.
"There have been some bright spots since Wednesday, but her condition is still very serious," police shared on Facebook.
Burton and the other officers encountered Lee about 6 p.m. Aug. 10 during a traffic stop in the 200 block of North 12th Street shortly after a narcotics unit believed they saw lee complete a narcotics transaction nearby. Lee was known to police as a drug offender, documents allege.
Burton's K-9 partner Brev sniffed a scooter Lee was driving and indicated the possible presence of narcotics, at which point Lee drew a handgun from his waist and fired at the officers, documents allege.
Newly-released details from the supplemental affidavit allege Lee had his hands in his pockets during the search and officers commanded him several times to show his hands before he drew the gun.
Online court records show Lee's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 3 and the trail is set for Nov. 1.
RELATED | Most criminal cases in Indiana end in a plea agreement, less than 5 percent of cases end up going to trial | 'He pulled the gun and fired with no hesitation': Neighbor recounts moments before Richmond officer shot | Suspect in shooting of Richmond police officer has criminal history dating back to 1994
-
Silver Alert issued for missing 83-year-old from Fort Wayne
Ronnie Sullivan, an 83-year-old White male, is 5 feet 9 inches tall, 170 pounds, with grey hair and hazel eyes.
IMPD asks the community's help in finding a missing man
Authorities say Mark is described as 5’10”, 162 pounds, with gray hair, a brown mustache and brown eyes.
Budget bill poses threat to solar installation tax credits
The federal government currently offers tax credits for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits. The budget bill moving through Congress may eliminate those credits altogether.
History you can see: Black Heritage Trail installed in downtown Columbus
Black history is all around Indiana, but sometimes it can be hard to find. A Columbus woman made it her mission to bring her city's Black history out into the open.
