Rodrick Herman Phillips, age 49, tragically lost his life to gun violence on January 13, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. The incident occurred in the 1700 block of W. 25th Street, where Cleveland Police officers from the 2nd district responded to reports of a male with multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the investigation, Phillips was involved in a physical altercation with Mar'Shawn Johnson, 21.
During the confrontation, Johnson allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot Phillips multiple times before fleeing the scene. Phillips was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Following the incident, law enforcement launched a manhunt for the suspect. The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) developed information suggesting that Johnson had fled Ohio and was residing in Alabama. On April 7, 2024, nearly three months after the shooting, members of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force successfully apprehended Johnson at a residence near the 3000 block of Panorama East in Huntsville, Alabama.
The arrest of Mar'Shawn Johnson was part of a coordinated effort by U.S. Marshals, who on the same day also arrested a juvenile female in Cleveland in connection with a separate homicide case. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott commended the task force's ability to arrest two violent fugitives in two separate states, attributing the success to the strong relationships with their task force partners.
Rodrick Phillips is remembered in his obituary as someone whose life was a "glorious gift that should be cherished." A private service was held to honor his memory.
