Trooper Scott Edward Phillips

Trooper Scott Edward Phillips

New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire

End of Watch Tuesday, August 19, 1997

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Scott Edward Phillips

Troopers Scott Phillips and Leslie Lord were shot and killed after Trooper Phillips had stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Route 3 and Hughes Road in Colebrook.

The suspect immediately exited his vehicle and opened fire on Trooper Phillips with an automatic rifle, wounding him in the hand. Trooper Phillips was able to return fire and emptied his entire magazine but did not wound the suspect, who was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Trooper Lord pulled up to the scene without knowing that shots had been fired and was shot before he exited his patrol car. The suspect then returned and shot Trooper Phillips four more times, execution-style, killing him. He then stole Trooper Phillips' patrol car and drove to the office of a local newspaper where he shot and killed a part-time judge, with whom he had a long-standing grudge and a newspaper editor who had tried to intervene.

The suspect then drove into Vermont where he shot and wounded a New Hampshire Fish and Game officer who attempted to stop him. The officer's life was saved when a bullet struck his badge and ricocheted off. The suspect then stopped the patrol car and set up an ambush. Two Vermont state troopers located the patrol car and approached it with a canine unit. The canine alerted the troopers to the suspect who was in an ambush position on a nearby hill, giving the officers an opportunity to take cover as the suspect opened fire on them from the hill. Two New Hampshire state troopers and a United States Border Patrol agent were all shot and wounded in the final shootout with the suspect at that location.

Upon searching the suspect's property, officials found massive caches of booby-trapped bomb materials and weapons hidden in underground tunnels.

Trooper Phillips served in the U.S. Army as a military policeman in Panama from 1985-1989. He joined the New Hampshire State Police in 1990.

Bio

  • Age 32
  • Tour 13 years
  • Badge 608
  • Military Veteran

Incident Details

  • Cause Gunfire
  • Weapon Rifle; Automatic
  • Offender Shot and killed

traffic stop

Most Recent Reflection

View all 38 Reflections

Trooper Phillips, it has been 26 years since you were taken from us, and I still remember it. I was working that day and trying to listen the best I could, but it was the days before interoperability, and I couldn't hear any transmissions from the North Country, so I had to rely on commercial radio stations. But I could hear the tones of the voice of the C & D troopers heading to help and knew it was terrible. I was very disappointed not to be able to attend services for you and Trooper Lord because most of my Department went. I was the duty officer and covered I-89 so Troop D could attend.

New Hampshire law enforcement has continued to thrive, learn and become safer due to the traditions and sacrifices you, your family, and many others have made for us. Thank you for your law enforcement service.

Chief (Ret) Steven Marshall Georges Mills, NH

August 19, 2023

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