Attorney General's Office Releases Video Footage from Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in West Berlin, N.J.
Summary
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability released police body-worn camera and surveillance footage from a July 29, 2025 fatal police-involved shooting in West Berlin, New Jersey. The decedent was Shawn Phillips, 37. Two NJSP detectives assigned to a U.S. Marshals task force were conducting an investigation when the shooting occurred. The investigation is ongoing.
What changed
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has released police body-worn camera and surveillance footage documenting a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on July 29, 2025 in West Berlin, New Jersey. The footage is being made public pursuant to transparency policies established by the Attorney General's Office in 2019 regarding police use of deadly force investigations. The family of the decedent, Shawn Phillips, was given an opportunity to review the recordings prior to public release.
Affected parties including law enforcement agencies and the decedent's family should monitor for continued updates as the investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability proceeds. The release of footage may inform future policy discussions around police procedures and accountability.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on the ongoing investigation
Archived snapshot
Apr 14, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
UPDATE: Attorney General’s Office Releases Video Footage from July 29, 2025 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in West Berlin, N.J.
UPDATE: Attorney General’s Office Releases Video Footage from July 29, 2025 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in West Berlin, N.J.
by NJOAG Communications WC | Apr 13, 2026 | Attorney General Directive 2019-4 | Bate Avenue | Berlin Township | Fatal Police-Involved Shooting | firearm | footage | Haddon Avenue | Investigation | New Jersey State Police (NJSP) detectives | Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) | police body-worn camera | surveillance camera | United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force | use of deadly force | West Berlin | Office of Public Integrity and Accountability | Press Release | Public Integrity |
For Immediate Release: April 13, 2026
Office of The Attorney General
– Jennifer Davenport, Attorney General
Office of Public Integrity and Accountability
For Further Information:
Media Inquiries-
Dan Prochilo
OAGpress@njoag.gov
TRENTON — The Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today released footage from a police body-worn camera and a surveillance camera relating to a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred July 29, 2025 in the West Berlin section of Berlin Township, New Jersey. The decedent was previously identified as Shawn Phillips, 37, of West Berlin, New Jersey.
The fatal shooting is under investigation by OPIA. The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 designed to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of police use of deadly force. Representatives of Mr. Phillips’ family were given an opportunity to review the recordings prior to their public release.
According to the investigation, two New Jersey State Police (NJSP) detectives assigned to the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force were conducting an investigation involving Mr. Phillips when they observed him standing on the front steps of a residence on Haddon Avenue, in the vicinity of Bate Avenue. One of the detectives approached Mr. Phillips from around the corner of the residence and ordered him not to move. Mr. Phillips reached into his right front pocket and retrieved a firearm. The detective fired his service weapon multiple times, striking Mr. Phillips. Medical aid was rendered, and Mr. Phillips was transported by EMS to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. He was pronounced deceased at 2:13 p.m. Law enforcement recovered a revolver, loaded with live rounds, at the scene after the shooting.
The recordings are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/u7mfiz03amjqgh65qoo0unw2uqnqklb2
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the Independent Prosecutor Directive can be found here:
https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/ag-Directive-2019-4.pdf
Note: Members of the press can email the OAG Communications Office to obtain a link to download the recordings.
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