3 ex-officers sentenced in deadly shooting of Fanta Bility
SHARON HILL, Pa. (CBS) -- Three former Sharon Hill police officers were sentenced Friday in connection to the fatal shooting of 8-year-old Fanta Bility. A judge sentenced Devon Smith, Sean Dolan, and Brian Devaney to 11 months of home confinement and five years probation.
"We forgive, but we will not forget Fanta Bility," the mother of the 8-year-old said outside the sentencing hearing.
Moments after learning the fate of the former police officers accused of fatally shooting the 8-year-old, the little girl's family expressed gratitude, forgiveness and a resolve to keep her memory alive.
"I just want to say thank you," Mother Tenneh Kromah said. "We forgive but we will not forget Fanta Bility."
"The most important thing is we appreciate what happened today," Father Maurice Bility said.
Words were shared outside the Delaware County courthouse Friday morning following a 90-minute sentencing hearing for former Sharon Hill police officers Smith, Dolan and Devaney.
Fanta's family not only forgave the officers but embraced them out of view of our cameras.
Each man was sentenced despite prosecutors' requests for jail time. The fired police officers pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment.
Smith and Devaney openly cried when directly facing the Bility family to apologize.
"I constantly pray for your forgiveness," Smith said.
It was August 27, 2021.
Gunshots were fired off outside the Academy Park Football stadium as Fanta Bility was leaving a high school football game.
The three officers opened fire in Fanta Bility's direction, killing her and wounding others in her family. Her sister, Mawatta Bility spoke of Fanta after the hearing.
"My little sister, she was very caring and very kind and very outgoing," Mawatta Bility said. "Although she's not here with us today, she is forever in our hearts and forever by our sides. I would also like to say I forgive the officers on behalf of my family."
Prosecutors while initially calling for jail time appeared to be comfortable with Judge Margaret Amoroso's sentencing decision, saying the entire incident was a terrible, reckless accident.
"They are going to be held on house arrest for eleven months," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. "That is a form of incarceration and they are going to be on probation for five years.
Stollsteimer agreed with the judge's decision.
"She did what she did best, to find a middle and a just sentence," Stollsteimer said.
The former officers all left out a back door of the courthouse without commenting to reporters. Their attorneys also left without comment.
The Bility family is suing Sharon Hill Borough in federal court over the fatal shooting.
The borough council last year released a highly redacted report on police response, training, and use of force and since then, they've refused to release the full document.
