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| An attorney for the Bility family said that Fanta Bility, "was a bright, bright, shining light, the kind of person that made people happy just by looking at her. And to have her gone is just a terrible, terrible tragedy". (Photo by=Bruce L Castro Jr) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] US prosecutors have charged three policemen with an eight-year-old girl's death, dropping a murder case against two teenagers who were initially held. BBC said that the officers opened fire on a vehicle outside a high school football game near Philadelphia on 27 August 2021 after hearing gunshots a block away.
The police thought armed suspects were in the car, but it’s Fanta Bility. Prosecutors had argued the tragedy was caused by two teens who fired at each other nearby moments beforehand. The district attorney filed first-degree murder charges against the two young men in November. Prosecutors said the pair - aged 16 and 18 - had "initiated the deadly events" and therefore bore responsibility for Fanta's death. Instead, Sharon Hill police officers Devon Smith, Sean Patrick Dolan, and Brian James Devaney are facing charges of voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officers had been monitoring the crowd when they heard the gunfire about 140ft (42m) away and turned to see a car heading towards them. The policemen fired 25 bullets, striking four people including Fanta and her 12-year old sister. The girl died in her mother's arms. Lawyers for all three officers released a joint statement maintaining their innocence and saying that they "remain heartbroken for all who have suffered because of this senseless violence".
