Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Patrolman Phillips,
On today, the 50th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice-not just as a Law Enforcement Officer but for our Country as well when you served with the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. And to your Family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

R.I.P.
USBP

Anonymous
United States Border Patrol

February 19, 2023

He only got 10 tears for the murder of my grandpa

wes
grandpa

September 2, 2018

Thats my great grandpaw and i am following his legacy. I am enlisted in the united states marine corps and plan to come back and be a state trooper. I never got to know him but i know he had heart it runs in the family.

wes phillips
great grandpa

September 2, 2018

Thats my great grandpaw and i am following his legacy. I am enlisted in the united states marine corps and plan to come back and be a state trooper. I never got to know him but i know he had heart it runs in the family.

wes phillips
great grandpa

September 2, 2018

While time has past, your vigilance has not. Thank you for don’t Ng what most don’t do and if given a choice, would not do. See you on the other side my friend. Your family is strong and remembers you- always.

LT Robert Massaro
fellow Mississippian

February 19, 2018

Thank you Patrolman Phillips for your service, your sacrifice and honor will never be forgotten. God Bless.

Administration
Mississippi Going Blue

February 19, 2016

Officer Phillips your sacrifice will never be forgotten! Thank you for your dedicated service to Harrison County and the citizens you were sworn to protect! Continue to rest in peace my fellow LE brother!
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of GOD." Matthew 5:9

Corporal Tony Dunn
Mississippi Highway Patrol, Troop D

February 19, 2016

Earl and his wife, Doris, were close friends of my grandparents, Bob and Hope Wilson. Earl was a superhero to my cousins and I. One of my fondest memories is when he allowed us to ride in his patrol vehicle. A kind man who was loved by many.
My grandmother was taking my brother and I home when we passed by the scene of his shooting. At 5 years old, I had never seen so many emergency vehicles. It was hours later that we learned of the tragedy. At my young age, I could not fully appreciate the magnitude of the loss to his family.
41 years later I serve as an elected prosecutor. I work with law enforcement officers every day, care about them and always tell them to be careful. I found a photo of Earl a week ago and plan to put it in my office. It reminds me of what I do every day.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Christopher Wilson
Callaway County (Missouri) Prosecuting Attorney

May 15, 2015

To the family and loved ones of Patrolman Earl Phillips:

I wanted to honor and remember Earl today. Although I never had the privilege of meeting him, I feel as if I know him through the loving reflections left by friends. His valor and courage will never be forgotten.

I am so sorry that Earl was robbed of his life, but through his heroism and the profound sense of duty with which he lived his life, he made an immeasurable difference. May his spirit continue to soar and may his memory continue to inspire.

To his family, I am so sorry for your loss and know that your life was forever changed by the death of your beloved. I know that he is forever in your hearts. I wish for you that you are able to live the hopes and dreams he has for your life.

This reflection is sent with the utmost respect for the dedicated service Earl gave to his community and the citizens of Mississippi, and for the supreme sacrifice he and his family made on February 19, 1973.

Phyllis L. Loya, mother of fallen officer Larry Lasater

Phyllis Loya
mother of fallen officer Larry Lasater

February 19, 2010

YOU ARE REMEMBERED TODAY AND THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND SERVICE, YOU ARE A HERO JUST BY THE PROVESSION YOU CHOSE.

Van Den Berghe
MANCHESTER, NH

February 11, 2008

"The Badge"
He starts his shift each day
To respond to calls unknown.
He drives a marked patrol car.
A police officer he is known.
He's paid by the citizens' taxes
To make it safe on the streets.
But he usually has a second job
'Cause a waitress has his salary beat.
Now he doesn't know a holiday
'Cause he works all year round.
And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive
At his home he cannot be found.
He's cursed and assaulted often,
The one whos blood runs blue.
He seldom ever gets a thanks,
To some he's just a fool.
His friends are always other cops
'Cause people just don't understand
That underneath his badge and gun,
He's just another man.
He knows there might not be a tomorrow
In this world of drugs and crime.
And he gets so mad at the court system
'Cause the crooks don't get any time.
And each day when he leaves for work,
He prays to God above.
Please bring me home after my shift
So I can see the ones I love.
But tonight he stops a speeding car,
He's alone down this ole' highway.
It's just a little traffic infraction.
He does it everyday.
Well, he walks up to the driver's window,
And his badge is shining bright.
He asked the guy for a driver's license,
When a shot rang through the night.
Yes, the bullet hit its mark,
Striking the officer in the chest.
But the Department's budget didn't buy
Each officer a bullet-proof vest.
So he lay on the ground bleeding.
His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red.
And briefly he thought of his loved ones
'Cause in a moment the officer was dead.
In the news they told the story
Of how this officer had died.
And some who listened cared less,
But those who loved him cried.
Well, they buried him in uniform
With his badge pinned on his chest.
He even had his revolver,
He died doing his best.
Written By:
David L. Bell
Sergeant
Richland County Sheriff's Department
Columbia, South Carolina
Used with Special Permission of the Author
Copyright © 1999 - All Rights Reserved
and may not be duplicated without permission

Investigator David L Bell
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC

November 29, 2007

Gone but not forgotten. Rest in peace.

Investigator
Harrison County Sheriff's Dept.

August 21, 2007

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. REST IN PEACE. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED.

DAUGHTER OF AN OFFICER

February 19, 2007

I was a Deputy with Harrison County Sheriff's Department between 2000 and 2006. Your legacy lives on, and your service is greatly appreciated. I have the upmost respect for you, and the sacrifice you made while serving Harrison County. God Bless You Brother.

Agent Brandon Ladner
MBN

August 9, 2006

Rest in Peace blue angel.

S. Yates

I first learned of Ptlmn. Philips in May of 1998. Two police officers were killed in Long Beach and the local paper ran an article on all of the Mississippi Gulf Coast lawmen who were killed in the line of duty. Through research, the reporter discovered information of a county road patrolman that was gunned down on a traffic stop in 1973. The sad irony of the circumstance was that... everyone forgot about Ptlmn. Philips. We must never forget those who make the ulimate sacrifice. We must NEVER forget ALL officers who have died in the line of duty. Thanks to the news aticle, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and this website, the people of Harrison Co., MS. will always remember the sacrifice of a lone county road patrolman. Stay low, be safe, God bless...

Christopher Yaroch, Federal Agent
U.S. Dept. of Energy