Arlington police officer fired following fatal shooting; department releases video
The Arlington police officer who fatally shot a 40-year-old man Wednesday has been fired for violating department policy.
Police Chief Al Jones identified the officer as Robert Phillips, who fired multiple shots at Jesse Fischer of Addison.
The shooting happened after officers followed Fischer in a low-speed chase into Carla Court, a cul de sac. Fischer had been stopped in the middle of the roadway along Pioneer Parkway near Daniel Drive when police first arrived, Sgt. Chris Moore said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
Once on Carla Court, Fischer made a U-turn and drove toward an officer who had gotten out of his car. Dash camera footage shows Phillips firing multiple shots into the front window of Fischer’s car.
Prior to a news conference Friday, Jones said he had met with Fischer’s family and reviewed the camera footage with them. Phillips was also interviewed following the shooting.
Attorney Susan McClelland, who is representing Fischer’s family, emailed a short statement Friday evening that said the family would respond to press inquiries at the appropriate time.
“[Members of Fischer’s family] appreciate your respectfulness of their privacy as they absorb the tragic and unnecessary loss of their son,” she said.
On Friday, Jones said the department was still working through the potential criminal aspect of the shooting and making sure the case was investigated thoroughly before being given to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
“I just wanted to make sure that on the administrative side, that [the department] took swift action, which we did,” he said.
Stanley Ferrell with Arlington clergy and police partnership said he agreed with the decision to terminate Phillips and that it would bring some reassurance and comfort within the Arlington community.
“The bridges that may have been torn down in years past are being rebuilt and rebuilt to the amount where we can build trust and you can feel confident in our police,” he said.
When asked whether the move to terminate Phillips was too quick, Jones said he stood by the decision.
“The facts as we know them today are not going to change,” he said. “They’re not going to change today, they’re not going to change tomorrow, they’re not going to change six months from now.”
Jones said there were many steps Phillips could have taken, such as getting behind or back into the police car. Because the officers knew they were going into a dead-end street, Jones said, the officers could have blocked the street until Fischer surrendered.
The move to fire Phillips was about transparency and trust within the community, Jones said. Without any action against him, Jones said there would have been outrage in the Arlington community.
“It’s not about politics to me; it’s about righting wrong, it’s about morals,” Jones said.
This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 3:42 PM.
