Capt. Justin Bedwell
Officer: Decatur County Sheriff's Office, Captain Justin Bedwell
Date: 3/1/2021 Location: Brinson, GA FACTORS (1,2,8,15)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Troy Arthur Phillips and Brad Phillips
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, both men are described as having “lengthy criminal records.” Brad served time in prison on at least two separate occasions and Troy had previous arrest for aggravated battery and DUI./Yes, incident began because Phillips was driving recklessly and fled from the police.
Mental Illness: Unknown.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Troy Phillips had a previous DUI-related arrest./None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Troy: White/Male/40 Brad: White/Male/41
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? On March 1, 2021, a Seminole County Deputy Sheriff attempted to pull over a vehicle occupied by the Phillips brothers for being operated in a reckless manner.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Phillips refused to pull over, took the deputy on a vehicle pursuit that was joined by other officers and exchanged gunfire with them. The brothers stopped in a stranger’s driveway and shot a door as they tried to break into the house but ran back to their pickup truck when the homeowner shot back at them. About that time Lt. Bedwell arrived to assist in the pursuit and was shot by one of the brothers with a .30 caliber rifle as they again fled in their truck and crashed nearby.
Reactions by the police: Georgia State Police responded and together with the deputies already involved in the pursuit, they arrested Brad Phillips near the crashed vehicle and after a search they arrested Troy Phillips as well.
How murdered? Lt. Bewell was fatally shot while assisting in a vehicle pursuit.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Lt. Bedwell was responding to assist fellow LEOs in a pursuit that already involved the exchange of gunfire and could only be concluded by physically stopping the two dangerous criminals – he bravely put himself into a situation that was incredibly dangerous.
Would the officer had been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Yes, officers involved in the pursuit had already used deadly force while exchanging gunfire with the two perpetrators.
Outcome for the cop-killer: The brothers face multiple charges, including “felony murder of a deputy along with aggravated assault of a peace officer, party to the crime of murder, attempted home invasion, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.”
