CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The alleged shooter of a Charleston police officer who was taken off of life support Wednesday at CAMC General Hospital was still being treated at the same facility for two gunshot wounds Thursday, according Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford.
Additional charges were pending against Joshua Marcellus Phillips, 38, of Charleston.
Deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department were continuing to gather evidence from the shooting involving Patrolman Cassie Johnson, 28, on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 1.
“We’re still studying the evidence and collecting everything, but it appears — right now — that he (Phillips) definitely pulled the weapon that he had prior to the officer,” Sheriff Rutherford said during an appearance on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
Rutherford said Officer Johnson had gone to Charleston’s Garrison Ave. in response to a parking complaint.
“She went to a house across the street from where the vehicle was parked, apparently spoke to some people, came back to the vehicle in question. Mr. Phillips, who we found out later to be Mr. Phillips, approached her,” the sheriff said about what happened that day.
“You could tell that they were in a discussion, a brief scuffle occurred, a little bit more discussion, then another situation occurred where it became much more violent, obviously. Both of the individuals were shot.”
Johnson was critically injured.
Phillips was expected to survive.
Sheriff Rutherford said the shootings were a reminder of how, in law enforcement, there are no routine calls.
“That’s why we always try to instill into our deputies and I’m sure all the officers in the state, that nothing is to be taken for granted. You just don’t what will happen,” he said.
“You’re dealing with people that one day may be patting you on the back and, the next day, sticking a gun in your face.”
Once their work was complete, Sheriff Rutherford said the findings of deputies would be turned over to the Charleston Police Department and the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for decisions on potential additional charges.
Mike Rutherford, @KanawhaSheriff, talks with @HoppyKercheval about Joshua Phillips, the shooting suspect that shot at Charleston Police Officer Cassie Johnson Tuesday afternoon. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/DIGl2rnqTT
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) December 3, 2020
Initially, Phillips was arrested for alleged attempted murder of an officer.
Sheriff Rutherford said that charge would most likely be upgraded to murder, though no decision had been made as of Thursday.
On Thursday, memorial arrangements for Officer Johnson were being worked out as organ donation coordination for Johnson continued.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin joined tributes to Officer Johnson during Thursday’s “580-LIVE with Dave Allen on 580-WCHS, a MetroNews affiliate.
“We’re celebrating and we’re talking about Cassie today and we’re planning on her final wishes and her final resting place this week, but this community’s going to be hurting and it’s going to be hurting for a long time,” said Mayor Goodwin.
Kent Carper, president of the Kanawha County Commission, agreed.
“Officer Johnson was a tremendous police officer,” Carper said. “I cannot believe just what a tremendous outpouring of love and respect the community has given. The family is going to need this, not just today, the family is going to need this for a long time.”
Delegate Rodney Miller (D-Boone, 23), the executive director of the West Virginia Sheriff’s Association and a retired sheriff, said Johnson’s fellow officers were also in need of support.
“Unless you have done the job, you find it hard to understand the camaraderie, the work that goes into it,” Miller said.
Kanawha County’s sheriff echoed those comments on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“The people that do this job love the job. They love helping people, working with the public, but it’s a dangerous job. There’s a lot of rewards that go with it, but it is a dangerous job,” Sheriff Rutherford said.