GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – An off-duty police officer, Sergeant Philip Dale Nix, was fatally shot while intervening in a shop robbery at a convenience store. Nix confronted three suspects who were in the process of stealing $83.45 worth of beer from a Sheetz on Sandy Ridge Road, when he was allegedly shot by 18-year-old Jamere Justice Foster.
Foster has been charged with felony first-degree murder, misdemeanor larceny, and conspiracy, while her accomplice, 28-year-old John Walter Morrison, faces charges of misdemeanor larceny, conspiracy, and felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Another suspect, 18-year-old Zquriah Lepearce Blackwell, has also been charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and held on a $500,000 bond.
The tragic incident has left the community in mourning, with Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson describing Nix as a “loving husband, father, son and brother” with 22 years of service. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan also expressed anger and sadness, calling the shooting a “senseless act of violence.”
In addition to assisting in the robbery, Blackwell is accused of helping Foster escape after the shooting and allegedly encouraging her to dispose of the gun and the getaway car’s license plate. The senseless crime has left many in the city devastated, as Nix was a supervisor of the Family Victims Unit and hailed from a family of police officers.
The suspects remain in custody without bail as the community mourns the loss of a dedicated officer. The tragic events serve as a sobering reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face in the line of duty.