Man Burns Girlfriend’s 9-Year-Old Son, Believing He Was 'Possessed,' Resulting in Fatal Police Shooting

By Lucia Paula , Parent Herald Dec 22, 09:16 am

Photo: (Photo : Markus Spiske on Unsplash)

Emergency personnel in Sebring, Florida, saved a child while tragically killing a suspect. At around 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were sent to the site of a fire involving suspicious roadside debris, after a report of the incident.

When emergency personnel arrived, 39-year-old Richard Ham confronted them while armed with two metal rods. Things took a turn for the worse when it came to light that Ham and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Lakenya Phillips, had been arson-bombing Phillips' son's possessions.

Ham's belief that the child was "possessed by a demon" led to a horrifying act of violence. Witnesses recounted seeing Ham push the boy into the fire and cover him with a flaming blanket. In a stroke of luck, the child managed to escape the ordeal without sustaining serious injuries.

Deputies from the Highland County Sheriff's Office, who raced to the scene, commanded Ham to surrender. However, he defied their orders, leading them to use a taser in an attempt to subdue him.

Surprisingly, the taser had no effect on Ham, who proceeded to attack a deputy with one of the metal rods. A deputy opened fire in response to this action, mortally wounding Ham. Later, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Another hospital treated the deputy who was struck in the head, and subsequently released him.

The Arrest of Lakenya Phillips

Amidst this chaos, authorities arrested Phillips. Two weeks earlier, someone reported Phillips and her son missing and endangered from Wichita, Kansas. The circumstances that led them nearly 1,500 miles away to Sebring remain a mystery.

The rescued boy, now under the care of the Department of Children and Families, shared distressing details of his life with Ham and Phillips. He reported that he had not bathed or brushed his teeth for over 10 days and had not been fed for at least 24 hours. He also recounted regular drug use by the couple and threats from Ham involving a large knife.

Law officials searched the car driven by Phillips and Ham and discovered narcotics and numerous guns inside. Phillips is wanted for many crimes, including attempted murder, battery, cruelty to a child, resisting arrest with violence, and assault on a law enforcement officer.

The prosecution claimed that her actions had a role in Ham's death and hinted at their intention to press a felony murder case against her at her court appearance. The court ordered her to be jailed without bond.

Richard Ham's Criminal History

Ham had a significant criminal record, with convictions in Arkansas, South Carolina, and Georgia, including armed felonies and drug possession.

This terrible event has brought domestic violence, drug misuse, and the difficulties law enforcement faces in handling such dangerous circumstances to the forefront, shocking the town of Sebring. At this moment, the little youngster is in our prayers and thoughts. The terrible trauma he endured will follow him around forever.

What happened in Sebring is a sobering reminder of the difficulty and danger that police officers encounter on the job. Furthermore, they stress the critical need for immediate action to save children from abusive and violent households. Vigilance, victim assistance, and strong police responses to crucial occurrences are more important than ever as the community deals with the fallout of this tragedy.