Hassan Elliott, 21, is charged with murder in fatal shooting of Philly Sgt. James O’Connor IV
Elliott, who was arraigned Thursday, also faces seven counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, seven counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer, obstruction, reckless endangerment, and related charges.
Hassan Elliott, 21, was charged with murder Thursday in last Friday’s killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O’Connor IV in Frankford.
Elliott, who had been held without bail since the incident, allegedly shot through a closed door at SWAT officers seeking to arrest him, fatally striking O’Connor.
He was arraigned at 1:06 a.m., according to court records. He also faces seven counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, seven counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer, obstruction, reckless endangerment, and related charges, police said.
Police said Wednesday that officers put Elliott in O’Connor’s handcuffs to formally place him under arrest in the killing.
Before dawn Friday, O’Connor and his colleagues entered an apartment on the 1600 block of Bridge Street in search of Elliott, who was wanted for allegedly committing a murder nearby a year earlier.
As O’Connor climbed the stairs, authorities have said, Elliott began firing through a closed bedroom door. O’Connor was struck in an arm and shoulder, and was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital at 6:09 a.m.
Three other people — Khalif Sears, 18; Bilal Mitchell, 19; and Sherman Easterling, 24 — were in the room with Elliott when he pulled the trigger, authorities have said. None has yet been charged in O’Connor’s death, but all remain in custody for other crimes as police continued to investigate.
Elliott — who did not have an attorney listed in court documents — also has been charged with murder in the March 2019 killing.
O’Connor, 46, was a 23-year veteran and a married father of two. His father was a city police officer, as are his son and daughter-in-law; his daughter serves in the military police. He was posthumously promoted from corporal.