3 Former Pennsylvania Officers Plead Guilty in Shooting Death of 8-Year-Old Black Girl
Three former police officers in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty Thursday after they were charged with killing an 8-year-old girl who was leaving a high school football game in August 2021.
The officers pleaded guilty to 10 counts each of reckless endangerment after negotiated plea deals included the dismissal of manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter charges, according to The Associated Press. Sean Dolan, 26, Devon Smith, 35, and Brian Devaney, 42, were Sharon Hill Borough Police Department members when Fanta Bility was shot and killed in August 2021.
The shooting occurred after two teenagers fired shots at each other outside the football game and fled. NBC News reported that the officers heard the shots and told other officers they believed the gunfire had come from a car driving toward them.
A total of 25 shots were fired in the car’s direction, and the crowd of people leaving the game. Three people were wounded, and 8-year-old Bility was killed by police gunfire.
NBC News reported that investigators found that Devaney was not wearing a body camera, and the other two officers never turned on their cameras. Prosecutors stated the plea deal was reached in consultation with Bility’s family, who felt that ending the case was necessary for emotional healing.
Bility’s uncle, Abu Bility, read from a family statement after the hearing that stated:
“The agony we feel constantly re-living the loss of our dear Fanta, who was just 8 years old when she was killed by Sharon Hill police officers, is impossible to describe with words.”
“After much prayer and discussion with our family, we determined that it was in our best interest for the district attorney to ensure that the police officers take responsibility for their actions, admit to their reckless conduct endangering many, and killing our Fanta.”
The three former officers of the Sharon Hill Borough Police Department were fired earlier this year.
They will remain free on bail while they await a sentencing hearing scheduled for January 2023.