The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability released on Apr. 13 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 policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 to promote transparency and fairness when investigating incidents involving deadly force by law enforcement. Representatives for Phillips’ family were given an opportunity to review the footage before it was made public.
According to the investigation, two detectives from the New Jersey State Police assigned to the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force were conducting an investigation involving Phillips when they saw him outside a residence on Haddon Avenue near Bate Avenue. One detective approached Phillips and ordered him not to move. Investigators say that Phillips then reached into his right front pocket and pulled out a firearm. The detective fired multiple times, striking Phillips. Medical aid was provided at the scene before he was transported by emergency medical services to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced dead at 2:13 p.m. Law enforcement recovered a loaded revolver at the scene after the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing under N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), which requires that any death occurring during an encounter with law enforcement or while someone is in custody be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and presented to a grand jury for review.
The role of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin includes protecting residents’ lives and property as well as upholding legal standards across all counties and municipalities according to the official website. The office influences public safety through enforcing laws and providing oversight throughout New Jersey according to its official website. It holds statewide authority for prosecuting offenses, regulating public safety matters under its statutory mandate according to its official website, and offers services such as state legal representation, law enforcement oversight, crime lab support, victim advocacy, and consumer protection initiatives according to its official website.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated can be found through resources provided by the Attorney General’s office.
