CBS3 Learning Details Of Suspect Maurice Hill's Lengthy Criminal History Following Hours-Long Shootout With Philadelphia Police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – CBS3 is learning the lengthy criminal history of Maurice Hill, the suspected gunman who allegedly shot six Philadelphia police officers during an hours-long standoff in the city's Nicetown-Tioga section on Wednesday. Hill has a long criminal history dating back to 2000, including several gun charges as well as drug and assault charges.
Police say Maurice Hill's criminal record includes serious gun charges, suggesting he should have never possessed any guns.
District Attorney Larry Krasner says he will most likely face charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault, among others.
"There will be a lot of charges. These are more than enough charges so that Mr. Maurice Hill may never exit jail," Krasner said.
Hill surrendered to police with his hands in the air shortly after midnight, following a standoff that lasted seven hours.
Hill's attorney, Shaka Johnson, admits he is known to law enforcement.
"Sure, he's had some run-ins with the law, he's been arrested. I represented him successfully a few times," Johnson said.
CBS3 obtained a mug shot of Hill from a previous arrest.
Today Eyewitness News confirmed in 2001 when Hill was 18 years old, he was arrested for possessing a gun with an altered serial number.
In 2008, he was also convicted of fleeing from police and resisting arrest and plead guilty to illegal possession of firearms.
Then, in 2014, Hill was arrested for a drug possession and false imprisonment.
But none of his crimes compare to the six charges of the attempted murder of police officers Hill is expected to face over an drug warrant.
That's when both police and Hill allegedly exchanged gunfire. The standoff shut down part of the city's Nicetown-Tioga section for hours.
It all started around 4:30 p.m. when police were serving a narcotics warrant and the suspect opened fire. Johnson says he does not know at this time if Hill was the target of that warrant.
As police exchanged gunfire inside the house, officers escaped through windows and doors. Police Commissioner Richard Ross added that it was a miracle officers weren't killed during the incident.
"They did an outstanding job, I can't imagine them being able to do it any better," Commissioner Ross said.
All six police officers were released from the hospital Wednesday night. A seventh officer, who was injured in a car crash while responding to the scene on the 3700 block of North 15th Street, remains in the hospital. That officer's condition is not known.
Two officers, who were trapped on the second floor of the residence, were released, along with three hostages, while police say the gunman remained on the first floor.
Additionally, two women and two children were escorted by SWAT and Philadelphia Police from the scene. They told CBS3 that they were inside the home on the second floor at the time of the shootout and that police saved them.
Precious Babies Learning Academy, a nearby daycare, had evacuated with about 80 children and parents were desperate to get to their kids.
There were reports last night that Hill was live streaming the shootout and standoff on social media, but Johnson disputes those claims.
Commissioner Ross could not confirm if Hill was live-streaming but did say he was FaceTiming his girlfriend, and possibly other people, during the standoff.
CBS3's Crystal Cranmore and Greg Argos contributed to this report.
