Photo courtesy of NBC 10 Philadelphia
Three police officers were criminally charged in the fatal shooting of an eight-year-old girl outside a high school football game in August 2021.
On Tuesday, the Delaware County District Attorney’s office filed charges of voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment in the exchange against Devon Smith, 34, Sean Dolan, 25, and Brian Devaney 41. NBC News reported that District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer dropped first-degree charges against two Black teens who were initially charged in the case.
As News Onyx previously reported, Fanta Bility, 8, was shot and killed on Aug. 27 when a series of bullets started flying at a high school football game in Delaware County. Sharon Hill police gunfire likely killed the young girl due to a suspected drive-by at around 9 p.m. outside the stadium’s main entrance.
When Bility and her family were standing outside of the stadium’s gate, Stollsteimer said the suspected shooters were shooting in the direction of the Sharon Hill police, prompting the exchange of gunfire.
“Tragically, our investigation has now determined that there is a high probability that the responsive gunfire of the Sharon Hill Police Officers struck four victims, including the shots that killed 8-year-old Fanta Bility and wounded her sister,” he said in a press conference on Sept. 7.
In November, Angelo “AJ” Ford and Hasein Strand were arrested and charged with multiple criminal counts, including first-degree murder, after both teens were reportedly exchanging gunfire and wounding one person. There were no fatalities. When Sharon Hill police officers responded to the gunfire, they fired 21 shots, injured three people, and killed Bility.
The investigation concluded that the gunshots fired in the fatal shooting were from the officers.
“We have now concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that it was, in fact, shots from the officers that struck and killed Fanta Bility and injured three others,” the DA said.
While the defendants were taken into custody and held on a $500,000 bail, they issued a joint statement, denying wrongdoing. All three officers retained lawyers from the same Philadelphia law firm.
“This is a terrible tragedy that was caused by armed and violent criminals who turned a high school football game into a crime scene in which an innocent child lost her life and others were seriously injured,” the statement said.
“These three officers ran to the sounds of gunshots and risked their own lives to protect that community. These three good men are innocent and remain heartbroken for all who have suffered because of this senseless violence,” it said.
Bruce L. Castor Jr., the lawyer for the Bility family, thanked Stollsteimer and a Pennsylvania grand jury for filing charges against the officers.
“From the beginning, he assured them that he would seek justice for Fanta, and today’s charges indicate that he’s done exactly that. They made the right call,” Castor said in a statement.
