4 Federally Indicted In Philadelphia SWAT Officer's Killing

Philadelphia PA

10 December, 2020

3:39 PM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — Four Philadelphia men are facing federal murder charges in connection with the death of a Philadelphia Police SWAT officer in March this year. United States Attorney William M. McSwain said Hassan "Haz" Elliott, 22; Bilal Mitchell, also known as "Omar" and "Walkdown," 20; Khalif Sears, also known as "Leaf" and "Lil Leaf," 19; and Sherman Easterling, also known as "Foot and "Foot on da gas," 25, all of Philadelphia, have been charged with numerous crimes. Charges are murder in the course of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; conspiracy to distribute "crack" cocaine and marijuana; possession with the intent to distribute "crack" cocaine and marijuana; and maintaining a drug involved premises. The four are accused of killing Philadelphia Police Corporal James O'Connor, who was posthumously promoted to Sergeant, on March 13 during the execution of a homicide warrant for Elliott at home on the 1600 block of Bridge Street. Additionally, Elliott and Easterling are charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The Indictment alleges that the defendants are members of a violent drug trafficking group known as "1700 Scattergood," which operates in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia. The defendants allegedly sold narcotics from a stash house they maintained where they kept an arsenal of weaponry, drugs and drug paraphernalia. On March 13, the defendants were inside the stash house property on the 1600 block of Bridge Street when O'Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department's SWAT team arrived with arrest and search warrants. As O'Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and announced their presence multiple times, Elliott allegedly fired a semi-automatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O'Connor. O'Connor was 46 years old and was a 23-year veteran of the force and has been with the SWAT team for 15 years. He was a married father of a Philadelphia Police officer and a member of the Air Force. A subsequent search of the property revealed the scope of the defendants' alleged drug trafficking conspiracy: ten firearms, bulk and packaged "crack" cocaine, bulk and packaged marijuana, and items commonly used to package and sell narcotics, such as a scale and packaging materials. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible penalty of lifetime imprisonment. However, contained within the Indictment is a Notice of Special Findings for defendant Elliott with regard to the charge of murder while using or carrying a firearm. This notice makes Elliott eligible for the death penalty.