David Phillips was working with a Los Angeles Police Gang Unit on April 2, 2008, searching for a known armed gang member wanted on warrants for carjacking and threatening to kill police.
Unit members located their suspect, but he fled in a motor vehicle, crashed into Phillips’ and his partner’s cruiser, and then emerged and began shooting at another officer nearby.
One of Phillips’ colleagues was shot in the chest, saved only by a U.S. Marine Corps pin that deflected a bullet. Phillips and other colleagues returned fire, killing the suspect.
In a narrative of the incident on the Los Angles Police Department’s website, police say that:
Simultaneously, the suspect fired two shots at Martin, striking him on the left chest under his badge. Martin fell to the ground and as the suspect approached him, he attempted to get up and fired one to two more rounds at the suspect. Valdez saw Martin fall to the ground and shot at the suspect once. At the same time, Phillips exited his police vehicle, took cover by the suspect’s vehicle, and upon observing the suspect shoot at Martin, fired three rounds at the suspect.
Phillips worked for LAPD for another three years, before transferring in 2011 to the Townsend Police Department, where he has since risen to the rank of sergeant.
On Sept. 21, Phillips and four former LAPD colleagues were awarded the Medal of Valor — the Department’s highest honor — by LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Phillips, who has remained close friends with many former colleagues, returned to the City of Angels to accept the honor.
“This wasn’t something that I expected, but it’s definitely an honor that they saw this case and thought to issue these medals to us,” said Phillips.
Sgt. Phillips now supervises other officers on both day and early night shifts, and serves as a firearms and active shooter response instructor for the Townsend Police Department.
“Sgt. Phillips has served the Townsend Police with distinction since 2011, and he could not be more deserving of this honor,” said Chief Sartell. “All of us at the Townsend Police Department are proud of Sgt. Phillips and the way he laid his life on the line for a fellow officer. It is an honor to call him a colleague.”
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