A Brooklyn man has received an 18-year to life sentence after his conviction in a fatal shooting at the Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights. The sentencing was handed down following his conviction on two counts of second-degree murder, announced Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. In a tragic event emerging from an attempted armed burglary, 43-year-old Phillip Scarlett was killed while defending his teenage daughter from the assailants.
The convicted, Waki Bullock, 33, received his sentence from Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht. Bullock's conviction was sealed by a jury trial that concluded on December 9, 2024. In the wake of the sentencing, District Attorney Gonzalez remarked, "The viciousness of the defendant’s actions cannot be overstated, and the lengthy prison term to which he has been sentenced holds him accountable for killing an innocent man in cold blood," as stated in the District Attorney's Office press release. He expressed hope that, while the void of such a loss is irreplaceable, the sentence may provide some solace and justice to Scarlett's family and loved ones.
According to evidence presented in court, the attack occurred on January 13, 2019, when Scarlett's 14-year-old daughter was accosted by Bullock and an alleged co-defendant, Rashawn Brown, who were both masked and armed in the building's hallway. Scarlett's intervention to rescue his daughter resulted in him being dragged down a staircase and subsequently shot in the hip and thigh. Despite being rushed to Interfaith Medical Center, Scarlett was pronounced dead.
Following the incident, Bullock fled to Georgia, where he was later apprehended and returned to Brooklyn on July 10, 2021. The District Attorney's Office extended their gratitude towards KCDA Digital Evidence Lab Intelligence Analyst Zoë Feygin, and Unit Chief Jingu Chong, for their roles in bringing the case to a close. Additionally, acknowledgment was given to Homicide Paralegal Angelika Rostkowska, and Blue Zone Paralegal Sharlesia Agaga.
Meanwhile, Brown, 28, also of Crown Heights, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree attempted burglary, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His case is still pending, with the next court appearance scheduled for February 6, 2025. According to a press release, the office of the District Attorney is steadfast in its commitment to community safety and holding perpetrators accountable, highlighting Brooklyn's record-low gun violence incidents in the previous year.
