Family and neighbors react to Chico Police shooting
Friends console the Phillips family for their loss. Photo credit: Sean Martens
Desmond Phillips died March 17 after police shot him while responding to a 911 call. Phillips was 25-years-old.
Chico police arrived at the Knoll apartments on West 4th Avenue after Phillips’ father, Dave Phillips called 911. Dave said his son was threatening him with a knife, something that had happened before. Phillips suffered from PTSD, Dave said.
Officers then entered Phillips’ apartment through the adjoining complexes to subdue him. They first tased Phillips, but he got up and started slashing at the police. Two officers fired at him. Phillips was rushed to Enloe Medical Center where he died from his wounds.
Janet Tu and her boyfriend Nick where home when they saw police lights coming up to their drive way. They both heard the taser go off and the gunshots, which they agreed sounded like 10 shots were fired. Tu didn’t really realize what was happening until she heard Dave screaming “you shot my son.”
“We gave our number to the family and said if they need any help from us we’re willing to give interviews and talk to anybody,” Tu said. “We want to spread the word it was an excessive amount of police force. The amount of police we saw was extreme.”
Andrew Perlinger, Phillips’ next door neighbor, was coming home from St. Patrick’s Day at 9 p.m. when he noticed his apartment complex was blocked by police. When Perlinger got into his apartment the next morning, he noticed several bullet holes. One bullet had gone through his TV and destroyed his microwave. Two bullets travelled through Perlinger’s living room and into his bedroom.
“There was a fat hole in my wall and I noticed the hole in my closet” Perlinger said. “I started realizing ‘wow, my house got shot up as well as the neighbor. We could have been harmed by stray bullets as well.’”
Perlinger said he didn’t sleep in his room on March 18 because he felt unsafe. Perlinger said he will be seeking damages from Chico Police.
“I feel like the city should have to pay for our damages.” Phillips said. “It’s the least they should do.”
Dave Phillips telling the events of March 17. Next to him was where the Chico Police tased his son, Desmond. Parts of the taser darts are still on the floor along with some of Desmond’s hair. Photo credit: Sean Martens
Dave Phillips struggles with what happened. He thinks the police overreacted to the situation. According to Dave, the bullets could have hit him, his grandchildren or Perlinger living next door.
Dave said Chico Police illegally broke into Perlinger’s apartment to remove the bullets.
He’s still coping with the loss of his son. “I got my family now,” Dave said. “This is keeping me and God. I know my son is in heaven.”
The Phillips family will hold a vigil at the Chico Police station at 6 p.m. March 19.
George Johnston can be reached at [email protected] or @gjohnston786 on Twitter.
Sherri Quammen // Apr 12, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Calm him down not come.
Allen // Mar 23, 2017 at 10:30 am
They call fire/ambulance because there son is going crazy and they have to lock themselves in a room. He is outside wielding knifes and trying to break down the door. Fire/ambulance deem the situation unsafe, call the police.
Police find the man pacing around in the front room holding knifes. He forces them out then continues trying to break down the door containing children and their grandfather.
Police go back in and taze him but he gets back up and comes at them with knives. So they shoot until he stops moving.
These are the facts and people are calling this “murder?” Police did what they had to do. Body cams would have been nice but I side with the police here. Make to do a toxicology report on the man as well.
Sherri Quammen // Apr 12, 2017 at 1:20 pm
To believe that the police did not overreact in this situation is just nonsense. The police had protective shields which they could have used to protect themselves from a knife attack. The police were not called in the first place. The father was trying to get somebody from Mental Health. A female officer was able to come Desmond down on a previous occasion. Why wasn’t she used on this occasion?
The police have time and time again overreacted to situations because of improper training. They choose to use excessive force first and then sort it out later. The district attorney has consistently found police shootings to be justified, no matter what the circumstances. The weapon they found in Desmond hand after he was murdered by these two officers was a fucking doorstop! Sixteen shots, people!!!
The police also risked the lives of the neighbors by their excessive shooting with many going through the wall. Then they bust down the door to the Phillips neighbor’s apartment so that they can cover their asses by retrieving their bullets?! If those neighbors had been there, they would have most likely been injured, and guess who gets to foot that lawsuit bill? That’s right, we the taxpayer, as always, over and over and over. And do you know why Desmond suffered from mental illness? It was from a police beating that he received in Sacramento after he was falsely accused of a crime he did not commit.
These questionably intelligent men with less than 6 months training are becoming the judges, juries and executioners of citizens in our communities and you think this is in any way okay?! This has got to stop. Only an overly testosteronic, racist man would do something like this. Perhaps police should receive estrogen treatments so that they will be able to use some common sense and have some empathy for the people they encounter instead of always choosing to shoot first and ask questions later. anyone who would approve of this sort of behavior is just another good old boy and apparently would welcome a total police state. Wake up!!
Ambur Bond // Mar 21, 2017 at 6:55 pm
I Am So Sorry For Ur Loss. It Is Unbelievable All These Deaths I Keep Hearing About. U & Ur Family Are In My Prayers
Ted Mosby // Mar 20, 2017 at 11:15 pm
Extremely one-sided reporting. Your article fails to mention that police responded AFTER paramedics and Chico fire had to leave due to unsafe circumstances. I am 100 percent for providing everyone a voice and reporting multiple sides of a story, but omitting facts is lazy and irresponsible reporting.
Mike Thompson // Mar 22, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Why don’t you do your own research before you judge the people who were actually at the scene after it happen talking to witnesses and neighbors? Oh that’s because your being ONESIDED……
Dugan Nash // Mar 28, 2017 at 10:52 am
*you’re