Julie Dombo testifies at trial for her accused shooter
Trial began Tuesday morning for the man accused of shooting a woman while robbing an AT&T store in Derby last year.
James Phillips, 27, is charged with attempted capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, attempted aggravated robbery and other crimes in the August 2015 robbery and shooting of Julie Dombo.
KAKE's Lily Wu spent the day in court. See her updates below (most recent first):
Dombo was shot, hitting her lung. She ended up losing part of her lung, which eventually caused her to lose her limbs & no hearing in L ear
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Dombo: I just wanted them (EMS) to hurry...maybe I could make it. She spent 114 days in the hospital.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Dombo: All I could think about was my husband and my daughter. This was going to be the last moments of my life.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Dombo recalls that Phillips "was very angry" and pointed the gun right at her chest. Says she could tell he was going to pull the trigger.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
The employees were told to go to the back room. As they were going in there, they heard shots fired and employees ran out of back of store.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Phillips pointed gun at all 3 women (Employees Ashley & Amanda, customer Julie Dombo). As Dombo tries to leave, he says "I will shoot you"
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Amanda helps the second customer, known as Julie Dombo. Ashley says Phillips pointed a gun and demanded to go to back of store.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Ashley was helping Phillips w/ Qs about activating a phone. He had a phone & phone box. As she was helping him another customer arrived
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
6th witness was a sales representative at AT&T. She (Ashley) & her manager (Amanda) were scheduled to work the 9am opening shift on 8/11/15
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Officers found empty holster, two pairs of handcuffs & gloves on Phillips. Officer said Phillips refused to identify himself at that time.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
After crashing into WPD car and stopping SUV, the officer chased after suspect and eventually handcuffed him near S Kansas. pic.twitter.com/40ffvOy1ps
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
5th witness is another @WichitaPolice officer who helped during the police pursuit. He was going to use stop sticks to stop suspect's SUV.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Phillips just flipped us off (immediately after this photo was taken) before exiting the courtroom for the lunch recess. Start time: 1:30pm pic.twitter.com/rDrxMmHWJE
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Officer just identified the suspect as Phillips who is in the courtroom "resting his head on his arms."
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
WPD officers set up stop sticks by Pawnee & K-15. The SUV driven by Phillips struck a WPD car during the pursuit. pic.twitter.com/7DcsroVzyc
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
4th witness is a @WichitaPolice officer who was at Patrol South (Pawnee & Broadway) during the dispatch call of a police pursuit in Derby
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Phillips has his head down as witness speaks about evidence. The 911 call is now being heard in the courtroom.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
The third witness He was the first to find Dombo in the store. She told him that she had been shot and said, "Help me. I don't want to die." He also helped Dombo call her husband.
3rd witness is worker at KS drivers license office located in mall where AT&T store is located. He heard gunshots & saw someone leave store
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
2nd witness is another Derby officer who went to Wesley hospital and saw Dombo's X-rays.
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
1st witness is Derby police officer who arrived first on scene at the AT&T store where he found 5-6 people surrounding gunshot victim, Dombo
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Judge Kisner reminded Phillips to stop using profanity. Phillips interjected and said he would continue to use them.
Phillips statement included him saying "there was no intent to murder anyone." Plus, some expletives when state objected to statements
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
The state's opening statements included recounting the events at the AT&T store and during a police pursuit on August 11, 2015. Phillips is representing himself and asked Judge Joe Kisner to sequester Dombo's husband, a motion which was denied.
In Judge Joe Kisner's courtroom for the trial of James Phillips, accused of attempted capital murder. pic.twitter.com/UfkK8XXseC
— KAKE Lily Wu (@KansasLily) October 18, 2016
Previous story:
Jury selection has begun in the trial for a man accused of shooting a woman while robbing an AT&T store in Derby.
James Phillips, 27, is charged with attempted capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, attempted aggravated robbery and other crimes in the August 2015 robbery and shooting of Julie Dombo.
Dombo, a former Haysville teacher and student counselor, lost so much blood that doctors had to amputate her hands and legs below the knees.
An arrest affidavit said Phillips went into the cell phone store on Rock Road in Derby to talk about a phone plan. That's when he pulled a gun from his back and said, 'This is not a joke.'
Phillips allegedly ordered everyone into the back room and then shot Dombo twice when she tried to leave the store.
The document states that Phillips sped away, shooting at officers as they chased him. He was caught after crashing his SUV into a Wichita police car.
Inside Phillips SUV, police found 2 pairs of handcuffs, rubber gloves, a stolen Samsung watch from a robbery in Wichita, duct tape, rope and a loaded .380 handgun.
Phillips told police he shot Dombo twice in the chest, because she wouldn't listen to him and go to the back of the store.
Following is arrest Wichita police connected Phillips to at least 5 other cell phone store robberies.
An online fund was established to help Dombo in her continued recovery.
