Man accused of shooting Richmond officer remains in hospital, awaits extradition hearing

RICHMOND — Richmond Police Officer Seara Burton is now under hospice care, more than four days after doctors took her off life support.

Last week, Richmond Police Chief Michael Britt said her injuries were “unrecoverable” after investigators said a man shot her traffic stop last month.

Thursday, medical staff at Miami Valley Hospital took Burton off of life support.

She was then transferred from the intensive care unit in Dayton to a hospice facility in the Richmond-area over the weekend.

>>Richmond officer third local officer shot in line of duty in less than a month

From the moment Burton was shot, the Richmond community has felt the impact.

“Just a normal traffic stop is what it looked like,” Michelle Partin said.

Partin witnessed the shooting the night of Aug. 10.

“I seen the officer laying right there ... it was real, it was happening. There’s no going back and I had to hold myself up with both hands against the wall,” Partin recalled.

Burton was shot just days before her wedding.

During her hospital stay, Burton’s fiancée Sierra Neal posted a heartbreaking video to social media showing her walking through the hallway in a wedding dress flanked by medical staff.

>>WATCH: Social media video shows Richmond officer’s fiancée walk down aisle at hospital

In the post Neal wrote, ““Even if it is not legal on paper, you are my wife. I love you Seara.”

The suspect accused of shooting Burton, Phillip Lee, is still in the hospital himself, according to jail records.

Richmond police returned fire and shot him, according to police.

He has been in prison five times in Indiana.

>>Man accused of shooting Richmond officer has over a dozen convictions over 30 years

Right now, Lee is on parole. He was released in December from his most recent prison stint.

The charges he is currently facing in connection with Burton’s shooting, including attempted murder, are a violation of that parole.

As soon as he is well enough to be released from the hospital, Lee will have an extradition hearing in Dayton.

This is so the Indiana Department of Corrections can take him into custody to start a new prison sentence for that parole violation.

Final arrangements for Burton have not been announced.

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