The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability released on Apr. 13 video footage from a police body-worn camera and a surveillance camera related to the fatal police-involved shooting of Shawn Phillips, 37, which occurred on July 29, 2025, in West Berlin, New Jersey.
The release of these recordings is part of an effort to ensure transparency and impartiality during investigations into police use of deadly force. The office said representatives for Phillips’ family were given the opportunity to review the footage before it was made public.
According to the ongoing investigation, two detectives from the New Jersey State Police assigned to the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force were investigating Phillips when they saw him outside a residence on Haddon Avenue near Bate Avenue. One detective approached and ordered Phillips not to move. Investigators say that Phillips reached into his right front pocket and retrieved a firearm, prompting the detective to fire his service weapon multiple times. Medical aid was provided at the scene before Phillips was transported by emergency medical services to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced dead at 2:13 p.m. A loaded revolver was recovered at the scene after the incident.
Under state law N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), any death occurring during an encounter with law enforcement must be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and presented to a grand jury for possible indictment decisions regarding involved officers.
The Attorney General Matthew Platkin leads efforts aimed at protecting residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties in New Jersey according to its official website. The office enforces laws statewide, provides oversight for public safety matters, offers legal representation for state agencies, supports crime labs and victim advocacy programs, regulates consumer protection initiatives, and serves as a central agency focused on justice throughout New Jersey according to its official website.
The investigation remains ongoing with no further information available at this time.
