Dead After Traffic Stop: Nigel Phillips Mourned by Friends and Comrades
A sign outside of the headquarters of Revolutionary Action Party (RAP) located in North Omaha.
By Kietryn Zychal
This article was last updated on June 12, 2021 by Emily Chen-Newton.
Ten members of the Revolutionary Action Party (RAP) live-streamed an emotional press conference on Facebook from their headquarters in North Omaha on Friday evening to collectively grieve the death of one of their founding members, Nigel Phillips. Omaha Police reported that Philips died by suicide the previous night after an attempted traffic stop for expired registration.
RAP co-founder Bear Alexander said, “I cannot express the sadness that I have-- fully-- on my brother and my comrade falling.” He expressed doubt that Phillips had taken his own life.
According to the initial OPD press release, Phillips drove through a stop sign in a neighborhood west of Metropolitan Community College that resulted in a minor collision with another car. He ran from his vehicle and a police officer chased him. OPD reported that Phillips was carrying a gun and shot himself in a backyard.
State Senator Terrell McKinney confirmed to NOISE that he and the family of Phillips had viewed the body camera footage from the shooting. Sen. McKinney declined to comment because the family of Nigel Phillips has not commented on the footage yet.
The press conference was held in the dining room of RAP’s tidy, bookish headquarters. Four members eulogized their friend and fellow activist.
“Nigel was a son. He’s a nephew, he’s a brother, he’s a father, and he was someone who cared deeply about his community,”
“He had a big heart, dreams, goals and aspirations,” Williams continued. “In a society where so few of us are truly fighting for the people, truly fighting for the oppressed, truly fighting for our communities with no expectation of anything in return but our liberation, we understand just how sacred these lives are.”
She added, “Whether directly or indirectly, OPD is responsible for the death of Nigel Phillips and we will work tirelessly to ensure that Nigel gets the respect and honor he deserves.”
On the weekends, RAP provides food for the North Omaha community. A project Phillips had been involved in.
A member who identified as “X” said, “Today, my fellow RAP members come together not only to celebrate the life of Nigel Phillips, but to express our frustration at the continuous trauma that the Omaha Police Department inflicts on our fellow community members.” He called the police modern-day slave catchers and charged, “It is not a new phenomena for a confrontation with the police to end fatally.”
Member “John Brown,” wearing sunglasses and a face mask said, “Historically, the Omaha Police Department has been an active participant in the maintenance of white supremacist power in Omaha. The effects of a prolonged occupation by a hostile force on a population are well documented. And it is easy to see that the long-term application of harassment, intimidation and the constant fear of imprisonment or death leads to unnecessary and unwarranted acts of violence.”
“We reject the narrative that an alleged traffic stop had to end in the death of a young Black man.”
“We reject the narrative that an alleged traffic stop had to end in the death of a young Black man.” Like Williams, “Brown” accused OPD of being complicit in the death of Phillips.
An outraged Bear Alexander spoke last. He called out OPD, the Omaha Police Officers Association and District Attorney Don Kleine specifically sometimes using derogatory nicknames. “I want to also talk about the trauma that is consistently inflicted just by the mere presence of these racist institutions in our communities. Black people— we face a tremendous amount of PTSD because we see the worst out of these pigs. […] They treat us like we’re second class citizens. The pigs treat us like we’re inferior.”
He called on suburban Omahans to acknowledge the desperate cries for help from Black and Brown communities over police misconduct in their communities.
Both “Brown” and Alexander warned that a “long hot red summer” of protest was inevitable if police conduct in North Omaha does not change.
Cereal boxes on the porch of RAP’s headquarters, open to the community 24/7.
RAP has received attention in the media for organizing demonstrations, including a recent event where severed pigs’ heads were brought to the OPOA headquarters. But the bulk of its efforts revolve around providing free food and clothing to the community in North Omaha. There are dozens of boxes of cereal on the headquarter’s unlocked front porch which community members are welcomed to take 24 hours a day. On weekends, RAP distributes these items on 24th Street near their Emmet Street house.
RAP ended the press conference by promising that Phillips’ death would not be in vain. Echoing a familiar refrain, they said his name in unison.
“Nigel Phillips.”
An updated report was released from the Omaha Police Department Saturday afternoon (June 12) stating, “An autopsy, completed on today's date, indicated Phillips had died as the result of a single gunshot wound to the head. The pathologist indicated the wound occurred in close contact.” The report also indicated ballistic testing still needs to be completed. NOISE has submitted record requests to the Omaha Police Department and the City for documents related to the Revolutionary Action Party (RAP) and Nigel Phillips. This is a developing story follow @noiseomaha on social media for updates.