Who is Phillip C. Wagner?

Phil served as a police officer with the Lorain Police Department for three and a half years and prior to Lorain, served with the Sheffield Village Police Department for four years. Phil was also a member of the Lorain Police Department S.W.A.T. Team for just over one year and had recently completed his one year probationary period on the team after passing his final assessment two weeks earlier.

On July 23, 2025, Officers Phil Wagner and Pete Gale were ambushed by a coward who opened fire on them as they ate lunch in their patrol cars. During the ambush, Phil was mortally wounded and would later pass away on July 24, 2025, surrounded by his family, friends, and coworkers. Pete, as well as Officer Brent Payne, who had responded to the calls for help over the radio, were both struck by gunfire but survived the attack.

The day before Phil was murdered on his lunch break, he was awarded his unit pin at the last S.W.A.T. training he would ever attend. The awarding of the pin that an operator receives, signifies that he has become a full fledged member of the team and has earned his place to stay. Phil may have only gotten to wear his pin for one day but he earned the right and title to keep it forever. Prior to starting his police career, Phil also served his country as a United States Marine and deployed overseas to Afghanistan.

More importantly, Phil was a loving and devoted father, husband, son, brother, and more. Phil was a spiritual man who had recently expressed interest with his pastor in wanting to serve his community in an even greater capacity than he already was. Phil leaves behind his loving wife, Jess, of ten years, their three children, Hadley, Olivia, and Barrett, his mother, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews.

Rest easy brother. We'll take it from here. Til Valhalla and Semper FI.

Below is Phil's callsign patch; B05, or Blue Zero Five.

LAST CALL