Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Earl Phillips was shot and killed after stopping a juvenile he observed speeding in a suspicious car on Landon Road north of Gulfport, Mississippi. At the time of the murder, the suspect was AWOL from the U.S. Army. He had returned to his home county and was staying with his parents. Prior to the murder, he had been told Deputy Phillips had been asking about a vehicle that matched the description of the one the suspect was driving. The suspect told several people if he came into contact with Deputy Phillips or any other officer, he would kill him. On the day of the murder, Deputy Phillips was on patrol and passed the suspect, who was driving the suspicious vehicle. Deputy Phillips turned around and began pursuit of the suspect, which ended when the suspect wrecked his vehicle. Deputy Phillips came upon the crash, exited his patrol car, and went to check on the suspect. The suspect exited the overturned vehicle and shot Deputy Phillips in the abdomen once with a shotgun loaded with #1 buckshot. Deputy Phillips, who was unarmed at the time of the incident, died at the scene. The suspect, 17, fled in the patrol car and made his way back to his parent's house. He was arrested there by officers a short time later and confessed to the murder after being encouraged to do so by his father. He was sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled on June 9, 1982. On June 29, 1986, he robbed a taxicab driver in Biloxi. In 1987 he was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 25 years. Deputy Phillips was a United States Army Reserve WWII and Korean War veteran and had served with the Harrison County Highway Patrol for 20 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, grandson, brother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-5DAF82B9- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Phillips gave the Harrison County Road Patrol 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Biloxi community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr. is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr. Compares
Offender Outcome
vehicle pursuit
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr. is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Earl Wesley Phillips, Sr. was killed by shotgun.