2 men plead guilty in deadly shooting of Philadelphia police Sgt. James O'Connor
Two suspects pleaded guilty to the 2020 death of Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O'Connor on Wednesday, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Hassan Elliott and Khalif Sears shot and killed O'Connor while he was serving a warrant in Frankford in connection with a drug trafficking investigation.
According to court documents, the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT Unit broke down the door of an apartment near Bridge and Duffield streets in Frankford in hopes of arresting Elliott on March 13, 2020. Elliott, Sears and two other men were inside the apartment, and as SWAT officers made their way up the staircase, Elliott got a rifle that was nearby and started shooting at the officers through the closed middle room door in the direction of the officers, fatally striking O'Connor in the chest.
Philadelphia police detectives got a search and seizure warrant for the apartment and during the search, they found nine handguns littered throughout the room, the rifle that was used to kill O'Connor hidden under the bed, crack cocaine, marijuana and drug packaging materials.
The attorney's office states Elliott and Sears are members of the criminal organization "1700 Scattergood" also known by several names including ["SG1700"] which operated in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia.
If convicted, Elliott faces a maximum of 55 years in prison, an $8 million fine and a $2,500 special assessment. Sears faces a maximum of 35 years in prison, a $13.25 million fine and a $1,000 special assessment.