Following the death of one of his officers in a security incident on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville Police Chief Jarad Phelps said Friday it has been difficult for the department but they remain committed to finding a way forward.
Jacksonville Police Department Officer Philip Chiorino was killed by Camp Lejeune law enforcement the afternoon of Jan. 13 in what base officials called a security incident near Tarawa Terrace Elementary School.
Area schools and child development centers were placed on lockdown out of “an abundance of caution” while law enforcement responded to the incident, base officials said.
However, very little information about the circumstances surrounding the incident has been released as it is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Phelps confirmed Friday that Chiorino was killed in the off-duty incident, saying the officer was hired in July 2024 and was most recently working as a school resource officer.
He said the department has brought in peer support specialists and other resources for those who need it.
“It’s hitting people differently,” Phelps said. “They don’t know the circumstances behind it, what led up to it, which is confusing.
“I think everybody would be confused about it, but right now, I think we’re really focused on making sure officer Chiorino’s wife and family are taken care of as they grieve through this process.”
Phelps said he’s also focused on ensuring the department finds a way forward, as they’re still committed to serving and doing so in an admirable fashion.
“For the department as a whole, we are going to move forward,” he said. “We have resilience, and we have the resources available to us, and those that may not be able to process well, we’re going to make sure that they have help.”
Meredith March, public affairs specialist with the NCIS Office of Strategic Communications, declined to provide details about the incident. She also said there was no ongoing threat to public safety on the base.
Base officials said on Tuesday, Jan. 13, that no students, children or staff were harmed during the incident and the lockdown was lifted once the area was secured.
“Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further at this time,” March said.
“NCIS remains focused on ensuring the safety and security of our Navy and Marine Corps communities as we carry out our mission to investigate and deter criminal and security threats to the Department of the Navy.”
Phelps confirmed that Chiorino was a former Marine and lived on the base at the time of the incident but could not provide further details.
“There’s a lot of rumors out there, I realize that, and unfortunately, I don’t think it’s appropriate for people to comment on what they were not first party to or part of it,” Phelps said.
“So, waiting for NCIS to come up with their investigation, their determination of what the facts are, because that’s what we need to deal with (are) the facts, not what people have heard.”