About the Case

(Timeline)

On August 27th, 2021 8 year old Fanta was killed by 3 Sharon Hill Police Officers while walking out of a football game with her mother and siblings. 3 other people were shot by police fire including Fanta's 12 year old sister who survived.

September 27th, 2021 the DA stated that he was 99% sure the bullets who killed Fanta were from Sharon Hill police officers. He then commissioned a grand jury to further investigate the matter.

Sharon Hill Borough Council appointed former Philadelphia District Attorney Kelly Hodge to investigate borough police policies and procedures the night 8-year-old Fanta Bility was shot and killed. This report took 9 months to be released and cost taxpayers $76,000.

On or around November 10th, 2021, the DA charged two teens, Angelo Ford, 16, and Hasein Strand, 18, with first degree murder of Fanta Bility based on a legal concept called transferred intent. Local community leaders, state officials, and organizations called for the DA to drop the charges against the teens stating that it was inappropriate to issue any charges during the grand jury investigation and most importantly charging the teens with a murder they did not commit.

On January 19, 2022, as a result of the grand jury investigation, prosecutors charged Sharon Hill police officers Devon Smith, Sean Patrick Dolan, and Brian James Devaney with voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter and 10 counts of reckless endangerment. The murder charges against the teens were dropped but they did face lesser charges for shooting at each other.

On July 25, 2022, a court hearing was held to hear arguments on the defense motions request to dismiss the manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter charges. The judge gave the prosecution until August 26th (30 days) to respond in writing with a brief. A decision on the motion to dismiss the 2 charges will be made by or on September 16, 2022. If the judge rules in favor of the defense, the officers will still face 10 counts of reckless endangerment.

On July 29, 2022 Sharon Hill Borough released the report that was commissioned in September 2021 and it was 85% redacted. That same evening, the Delaware County Black Caucus held a press conference calling for transparency and a fully unredacted report.

Since then, the family, community members, residents and activist organizations have held press conferences and protests demanding the police release a fully unredacted report.

On August 18, 2022, a United Coalition for Fanta held a joint press conference and protest with the Darby Area and Philadelphia branches of the NAACP, Delaware County Black Caucus, UDTJ, Delco Resist, and Minority Center to demand transparency and requested current information on Sharon Hill's policies and procedures on active shooter incidents as well as any information on training and retraining of officers to ensure what took place last year never happens again.

The President of the NAACP Darby Area Branch also submitted a letter to the Sharon Hill Mayor and Police Chief asking for this information.

September 16, 2022 The judge overseeing the case was supposed to render a decision regarding the motion to dismiss the two charges of manslaughter against the officers involved. The original court date was postponed and the decision was made 10 days later to have the three former Sharon Hill police officers, who fired and killed 8-year-old Fanta Bility, face those most serious charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. 

November 10, 2022 The three former Sharon Hill police officers plead guilty to ten counts of reckless endangerment in the shooting death of Fanta Bility