Arizona authorities say Kingman police officer was justified in fatal shooting

Authorities in northwest Arizona have concluded that a Kingman police officer was justified in the Aug. 29 shooting death of a woman who was armed with a shotgun.

The finding by the Mohave County attorney’s office comes through a review of an independent investigation conducted by the sheriff’s office.

Deputy County Attorney Jace Zack said officer Evan Hopper was justified in shooting Paula Phillips after the 35-year-old Kingman woman turned toward him while brandishing a loaded shotgun.

Zack said an autopsy revealed that Phillips was highly intoxicated from alcohol and also had ingested methamphetamine and oxycodone before the incident.

The attorney further noted that Phillips used a cellphone to make a 911 call to police minutes before she was killed, telling a dispatcher that a vehicle matching the description of the one she was driving was loaded with AK-47s and shotguns and was traveling erratically.

Phillips was standing outside her vehicle when Hopper arrived to conduct a welfare check at 10:38 p.m. The investigation concluded that Phillips ignored Hopper’s commands and was shot three times.

Zack concluded that facts of the case strongly suggest Phillips was intending to commit “suicide by cop.”