A Delaware County judge on Thursday upheld charges against three former Sharon Hill police officers charged in the deadly shooting of 8-year-old Fanta Bility.
According to investigators, on Aug. 27 the officers were patrolling fans leaving an Academy Park High School football game when gunfire erupted on a nearby street. It's believed that at least two shots were fired in the direction of the officers.
In response, investigators said the officers fired at a car they believed was involved in the initial gunfire, striking the car and members of the crowd of people leaving the game. Investigators later determined that the women in the car were not responsible for the initial gunfire. It’s unclear which officer fired the bullet that killed Bility because it was too badly damaged to trace to a specific gun, but investigators testified Thursday that they were able to trace it to a police-issued handgun. Prosecutors said during the hearing that the officers acted negligently by firing at a moving vehicle.
Authorities had previously charged two teens in connection with the initial gunshots that were fired - Angelo "AJ" Ford, 16, of Sharon Hill, and Hasein Strand, 18, of Collingdale. Those charges were later dropped. "While I believe these defendants should be held accountable for starting the series of events that ultimately led to Fanta Bility’s death, developments during the grand jury investigation render it appropriate to withdraw these charges at this time," Stollsteimer wrote in the emailed release.Attorney Shaka Johnson joins Good Day Philadelphia to discuss the latest on the case.
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