VIPD Detective Delberth Phipps Shot and Killed on St. Thomas by Suspect Out on Bail

Detective Delberth Phipps Jr., 42, was fatally shot Tuesday during a confrontation in Hospital Ground, St. Thomas. The suspect, Richardson Dangleben Jr., had been released on reduced bail while awaiting trial for murder.

VIPD Detective Killed in St. Thomas Shootout; Suspect Had Been Released on Reduced Bail

A Virgin Islands Police Department detective was shot and killed Tuesday morning on St. Thomas by a suspect who was already awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge, police1.com reports. Flags across the U.S. Virgin Islands were ordered to fly at half-staff in his honor.

Detective Delberth I. Phipps Jr., 42, a seven-year veteran of the department, was struck during an exchange of gunfire in the Hospital Ground neighborhood and was transported to Roy Lester Schneider Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect: armed, armored, and out on bail

The confrontation began at approximately 7:53 a.m. when 911 dispatchers received a report of a man wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a firearm in the "Jah Yard" area of Hospital Ground, according to police spokesman Glen Dratte.

When officers arrived, the suspect — identified as Richardson Dangleben Jr., 51 — opened fire on them with a high-powered assault rifle. Officers returned fire. Police said Dangleben was "wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with an assault rifle, handgun, and several hundred rounds of ammunition."

Dangleben was taken into custody and also transported to Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment.

What made the incident particularly stark: Dangleben had been arrested on Feb. 24 and charged with first-degree murder and related offenses after he admitted to fatally shooting 68-year-old Keith Jennings, also in the Hospital Ground area. A judge later reduced his bail, and he was released from jail in March — while still awaiting trial in that case.

Prior murder case: disputed account

In the February incident, Dangleben called police himself and claimed Jennings had approached him with a rock, threatening to kill him, before he fired a single shot from his licensed firearm, according to the probable cause fact sheet. Jennings was transported to Schneider Hospital in a private vehicle and was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the neck.

Two of Jennings' family members who were present disputed that account, saying they had not heard an argument or seen anything in Jennings' hand before the shot was fired. One witness told police that Dangleben "is dangerous" and that they had "filed several police reports" about him.

At Dangleben's advice-of-rights hearing, Territorial Public Defender Julie Todman emphasized his self-defense claim, noting that he had previously faced an assault charge but was acquitted at trial.

"The ultimate sacrifice"

Phipps is the first member of the Virgin Islands Police Department to die in the line of duty since 2012. His death brings the territory's homicide count to 23 so far this year — 12 on St. Croix and 11 on St. Thomas.

Police Commissioner Ray Martinez addressed the loss in a statement: "Today is that day no department wants to experience. The loss of our Detective, Officer, and Brother has sent ripples through the Department. Detective Phipps made the ultimate sacrifice to Protect and Serve his community, our community. Detective Phipps, a second-generation Police Officer, was a rising star and will be sorely missed."

VIPD Police Chief Steven Phillips called it a "tremendous loss." "We've lost a dear colleague," Phillips said. "Detective Phipps was truly an outstanding Detective and Individual. We are truly heartbroken."

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said he was "incensed and deeply saddened" by the killing. "This tragic incident reminds us of the risks our law enforcement officers face daily in their unwavering commitment to keeping our community safe," Bryan said in a written statement. He ordered the Virgin Islands Flag to fly at half-staff for one week beginning at sunrise on Wednesday, July 5.

V.I. Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett called the death "a grave reminder of the continual sacrifice that our law enforcement officers and their families make in order to ensure our safety."

Calls for tighter bail conditions

Senator Kenneth Gittens, a former VIPD officer with 20 years in law enforcement, said he was "even more deeply saddened by the fact that this is a tragedy that was possibly preventable," pointing directly to the bail decision that put Dangleben back on the street.

"I am very concerned about the continued release of suspects on relatively loose bail conditions that are evidently not adhered to," Gittens said. "In addition to the VIPD, the courts and the Department of Justice are the gatekeepers and the community must be protected from those arrested for violent offenses."

Dratte did not immediately respond to follow-up questions from The Virgin Islands Daily News, including how many officers discharged their weapons during the confrontation.

Source: Google News VI — Crime