Richmond, Indiana – Officer Seara Burton was shot in the head and transferred to the hospital for treatment in critical condition last week when a suspect opened fire towards her and other officers while conducting a traffic stop in Richmond.
Officer Burton is still in the hospital where she is recovering from the shooting incident that happened on August 10.
The suspect in the case was identified as Phillip Matthew Lee, and according to the most recent details about the incident, Officer Burton was not the only target that day. Lee reportedly fired several shots at one officer but missed him, then opened fire and shot Officer Burton, and fired several shots at a third officer as he was trying to flee the scene.
He was, however, arrested and charged regarding the incident.
An initial hearing for the suspect in the Richmond police officer shooting took place on Friday over video call. Lee was live from his hospital bed. He coughed a bit, but spoke clearly, appearing to be recovering from his injuries after the shooting.
Lee informed the court that he would continue the process against him with his court-appointed attorney, Andrew Maternowski, because he is allegedly unable to afford an attorney on his own. Maternowski was also present through a video call.
After being arrested, Lee was jailed on $1.5 million bail. On Friday, judge confirmed that the bail remains unchanged, citing that the amount is appropriate for the incident.
Lee was initially charged with having a handgun as a violent felon, and possession of meth, cocaine and a narcotic drug. However, since new details about the shooting emerged and Lee reportedly opened fire toward three officers, he now faces three additional counts of attempted murder charges.
The preliminary hearing is set for October 3, and the trial is set for November 1.
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