FLEMINGTON – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of a man Friday following a standoff with law enforcement.
Daquan Phillips, 26, of Baltimore, was wanted on an aggravated assault warrant out of Maryland. At about 1:50 p.m. Friday, the U.S. Marshals Service, along with Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies, went to a Tranquil South home to carry out the warrant.
According to the GBI, one person was removed from the home without incident. Phillips, who was outside when law enforcement officers arrived, went into the home and barricaded himself.
Liberty County Sheriff’s Maj. Bill Kirkendall said Phillips did not respond to repeated attempts to establish communication.
Flash bang grenades were heard deployed around 6:15 p.m. and shots were fired shortly thereafter.
“We waited as long as we could,” Kirkendall said.
Kirkendall said law enforcement’s goal was to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.
“When that failed, they had to take immediate action to protect citizens in the area,” he said.
After hours of attempting to communicate with Phillips, entry was made into the home. Phillips was discovered in the home with what appeared to be a gunshot wound, and was later pronounced dead by the Liberty County Coroner’s Office. A 5-year-old child was removed from the home safe and unharmed.
Phillips’ body will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler, Georgia where an autopsy will be performed.
Multiple agencies, including the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Hinesville Police Department, Savannah Police Department SWAT, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia State Patrol responded to assist.
This case is active and ongoing. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for Review.
“This is a quickly-evolving situation,” Kirkendall said, “and the investigation is still in its infancy.”