Greensboro Police Department: 3 suspects charged in connection to deadly shooting of off-duty sergeant - WXII12 Winston-Salem

THIS IS BREAKING NEWS. SERGEANT PHILLIP DALE PHOENIX, A FATHER, A HUSBAND, A BROTHER, A SON AND AN OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF GREENSBORO. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS IN THE DEATH OF AN OFF DUTY POLICE SERGEANT. POLICE HAVE JUST RELEASED PHOTOS OF THE THREE PEOPLE CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH HIS MURDER. WXII 12 JOSHUA DAVIS HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY SINCE IT HAPPENED. HE JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM GREENSBORO AND JOSHUA, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED TODAY? NO, I’M STANDING IN FRONT OF GREENSBORO POLICE HEADQUARTERS. WHERE? RIGHT HERE. BEHIND ME. YOU CAN SEE THAT POLICE HAVE CREATED A MEMORIAL IN HONOR OF SERGEANT PHILLIP DALE NIX. AND THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON, WE’VE SEEN PEOPLE COME BY AND LAY FLOWERS TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS. AND TODAY, WE’VE LEARNED THAT POLICE HAVE THREE SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY CONNECTED TO HIS DEATH THIS EVENING, THE GREENSBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT LOST ONE OF OUR OWN. GREENSBORO POLICE SERGEANT PHILLIP DALE NIX WAS KILLED SATURDAY NIGHT. POLICE SAY HE WAS OFF DUTY AT THE SHEETZ IN COLFAX WHEN HE WITNESSED A CRIME AND DECIDED TO APPROACH THE SUSPECTS. THAT’S WHEN POLICE SAY ONE OF THE SUSPECTS SHOT THE OFF DUTY OFFICER. DESPITE EFFORTS BY ANOTHER OFF DUTY OFFICER AND A PARAMEDIC, NIX DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. WHAT HAPPENED TODAY WAS A SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE. ON SUNDAY, POLICE ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF THREE SUSPECTS JOHN MORRISON, JAMIR FOSTER AND ZACHARIAH BLACKWELL. HE WAS A LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, SON AND BROTHER. WE ASKED FOR PRAYERS FOR THE FAMILY OF THE FALLEN OFFICER AND OUR IN GREENSBORO PD FAMILY. NIX WAS A 23 YEAR VETERAN OF THE FORCE WHO SERVED AS A DETECTIVE PATROL SERGEANT AND A SUPERVISOR IN THE FAMILY VICTIMS UNIT. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT SHOWS THE DEDICATION OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, WHETHER THEY ARE, UM, ON DUTY OR OFF DUTY, THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK HE IS A HERO. AND EACH OF THOSE SUSPECTS FACE MULTIPLE CHARGES AMONG THOSE, FOSTER IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER. MORRISON AND BLACKWELL ARE CHARGED WITH ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT TO FIRST DEGREE MURDER, AND ALL THREE ARE DUE IN COURT BY JANUARY SECOND. JOSHUA, A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU TONIGHT. HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE SERGEANT NIX CONFRONTED THE SUSPECTS? NO, I DID GET ARREST WARRANTS TODAY FROM THE GUILFORD COUNTY MAGISTRATE OFFICE. THEY SAY THE SUSPECTS WERE TRYING TO STEAL CASES OF BEER AND INTENDED TO SELL THEM TO BUY NARCOTICS. THE WARRANT ALSO SAID WHAT THEY DID STEAL AMOUNTED TO JUST $83

Greensboro Police Department: 3 suspects charged in connection to deadly shooting of off-duty sergeant

Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues, police said.

Three people have been charged in connection to the shooting that killed an off-duty Greensboro police sergeant, according to a news release from police. Police said they charged Jamere Justice Foster, 18, Z'quriah Le'Pearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28, after Sergeant Philip Dale Nix was killed on Saturday at the Sheetz gas station on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax. Top StoriesGreensboro off-duty police officer killed at Sheetz, officials looking for 2 suspectsHere’s what we know now: Off-duty police officer shot at Sheetz gas station diesWinston-Salem police investigate shooting Friday night, police sayGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereFoster is charged with first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held with no bond.Blackwell is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and is held with a $500,000 bond.Morrison is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held without bond.Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues, police said.On Sunday, police said Sergeant Nix served Greensboro for 23 years. “He was a loving husband, father, son and brother," said Greensboro Police Chief Thompson during a news conference Saturday night.Police said Sergeant Nix worked under many assignments including Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Detective, Patrol Corporal, Patrol Sergeant, and his most current assignment was as Supervisor of the Family Victims Unit, police said. He was also a Team Leader for the Peer Support Team for over 12 years and was the current Assistant Team Leader of the GPD Honor Guard, according to police. The Greensboro Police Department said the Winston-Salem Police Department assisted in making these arrests. According to the Guilford County Jail, the suspects are due in court on Tuesday. This story may be updated as more information becomes available. Extended CoverageNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

Three people have been charged in connection to the shooting that killed an off-duty Greensboro police sergeant, according to a news release from police.

Police said they charged Jamere Justice Foster, 18, Z'quriah Le'Pearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28, after Sergeant Philip Dale Nix was killed on Saturday at the Sheetz gas station on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax.

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Suspects in officer shooting investigation

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Foster is charged with first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held with no bond.

Blackwell is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and is held with a $500,000 bond.

Morrison is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held without bond.

Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues, police said.

On Sunday, police said Sergeant Nix served Greensboro for 23 years.

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Sgt. Philip Dale Nix

“He was a loving husband, father, son and brother," said Greensboro Police Chief Thompson during a news conference Saturday night.

Police said Sergeant Nix worked under many assignments including Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Detective, Patrol Corporal, Patrol Sergeant, and his most current assignment was as Supervisor of the Family Victims Unit, police said. He was also a Team Leader for the Peer Support Team for over 12 years and was the current Assistant Team Leader of the GPD Honor Guard, according to police.

The Greensboro Police Department said the Winston-Salem Police Department assisted in making these arrests.

According to the Guilford County Jail, the suspects are due in court on Tuesday.

This story may be updated as more information becomes available.