Home Invasion Suspect Shooting Justified Under Stand Your Ground Law

January 16, 2016

No criminal charges will be filed against a man that shot and kill a home invader last month in Santa Rosa County because he was justified under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.

On December 12, 2015, Gary Savoy Phillips, 38, was pronounced deceased at the scene after he was shot by Rufus Alexander Jordan just after 7 a.m. on Phillips Lane off Highway 4 east of Berrydale.

According to a report released Friday by the State Attorney’s Office,  Jordan and his girlfriend, Nora Danielle King, were awakened by the sound of someone beating on their front door and yelling, a voice they recognized as Gary Savoy Phillips, whose father, Jerry Phillips, Sr., had previously been married to King’s mother. Danielle King grabbed a bolt action 12 gauge shotgun from the bedroom and handed it to Jordan.

King’s three children, along with a fourth child that was spending the night, were asleep in their beds in a separate bedroom.

Gary Phillips (pictured left) suddenly kicked open the door to the home screaming that he was going to kill them and saying, “I’ve done told you I would burn this place.” Jordan pointed the shotgun at Phillips, who then backed out of the home onto the front porch and reached into his right pocket while turned so that Jordan was  unable to see what Phillips was reaching for in his pocket.

Believing that Phillips was reaching for a gun, Jordan fired one round of buckshot from the 12 gauge shotgun at Phillips. Phillips collapsed in the yard.

Phillips collapsed in the yard 13′ from the edge of the porch. Jordan attempted to render aid to Phillips but when he walked down the steps, Phillips’ two pit bulldogs attacked him.

Jordan went back into the house and put another shell in the shotgun which he then fired  into the ground to scare the dogs away. Jordan called 911 and reported the shooting. When law enforcement arrived, they discovered the body of Gary Phillips lying in the front yard. Two pit bulldogs attacked the officers as they approached the body.

When interviewed by officers, Jordan and King stated that  Phillips did not live in the house with them but would spend the night there occasionally. Officers found no items in the house belonging to Phillips and no papers or documents bearing his name.

Jordan and King told investigators that Phillips had stolen several items from their home including King’s cell phone, a flashlight, some money, and 3 guns. These were taken several days before the shooting. The guns stolen were a shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol. Although the pistol was not recovered, King’s cell phone was found on Phillips by officers at the time of the shooting.

Gary Phillips had previously been convicted of grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and aggravated battery, in addition to various drug, theft and traffic convictions. He had been released from prison just eight months before the incident. King and Jordan knew Phillips well and were both aware of Phillips’ criminal history and the fact that he had prior convictions involving violence and firearms.

“Rufus Alexander Jordan was justified in using deadly force in that he reasonably believed that such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or the other occupants of the home or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. Under the circumstances, Jordan had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground,” according to the State Attorney’s report, which concluded the shooting death was reasonable and
justifiable under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law and no criminal charges should be filed.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

8 Responses to “Home Invasion Suspect Shooting Justified Under Stand Your Ground Law”

  1. Tye phillips on October 23rd, 2018 11:32 am

    R.I.P GARY I love you brother he will have his day in front of the big man. It’s easy to see a person as being in the complete wrong when hes dead an cant defend himself. Also does any one understand that yes my brother was in the wrong but he didnt deserve to get shot in the back in his ‘Torso area’ an die which tells me he had his back facing Jordan when he got shot Jordan is lower than the scum on this earth he belongs in my brothers grave.

  2. Sedition on January 18th, 2016 8:17 pm

    When these violent criminals make the decision to harm or kill other, they can no longer be considered human beings.
    Kill them like the rabid animals they are when they decide that others lives are meaningless.
    Dead offenders, not repeat offenders.

  3. Kyle on January 18th, 2016 9:35 am

    @Just Saying:

    In a point of agreement with you: “Not cool to cheer when a person dies.”
    Counterpoint: Any good firearms instructor will tell you there is no such thing as “shoot to wound.” So please consider my polite request to drop that thought out of your head – it’s profoundly naive.

    Final point:
    Phillips had in the past threatened this family, stolen three firearms, and in this particular instance loaded up two pitbulls, went over to their house, kicked in their front door and was attacking.

    So while it is regrettable Phillips chose to die by conflict, you have the tougher explanation to give: exactly where and when in this scenario would you have been calm enough to aim a shotgun so that Phillips was only wounded? Particularly if you realized Phillips were reaching for a gun and had about 1 second to decide?

    The final point is mostly rhetorical, it makes its point just by being asked.

  4. Just Saying on January 17th, 2016 4:14 pm

    I agree that he should not be charged for this, but I find it morally reprehensible to say “good job” or “good start but there are a lot more low life losers to deal with.”! No matter what he did, this was a human life! I’m not blaming Mr Jordan at all. I’m sure that in the same situation, I would have done the same. HOWEVER, I would be sickened to my soul to have people applauding me for taking what God gave. I would have wished to only wound, not kill.

  5. nod on January 16th, 2016 9:13 am

    Thank you Jordon, one less scum for us to deal with. It is a good start but there are a lot more lowlife losers to deal with. Good job. Decent people should not have to put up with this type of person.

  6. john on January 16th, 2016 6:29 am

    Be careful of the friendships you form.

  7. Mike on January 16th, 2016 3:53 am

    Good shot Mr. Jordan! :)

  8. Melodies4us on January 16th, 2016 2:58 am

    I am so glad we have the Stand Your Ground Law here.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News