On the evening of August 27, 2021, eight-year-old Fanta Bility, a Black girl, was tragically killed by police gunfire as she was leaving a high school football game in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania. Fanta had attended the game at Academy Park High School with her mother and sister to watch her older sister cheerlead. The night took a horrifying turn when a dispute between two teenagers, 16-year-old Angelo “AJ” Ford and 18-year-old Hasein Strand, erupted into gunfire about a block away from the stadium.
In response to the initial gunshots, three Sharon Hill police officers—Brian Devaney, Sean Dolan, and Devon Smith—discharged their weapons, firing 25 shots towards a car they mistakenly believed was involved in the shooting. The officers' bullets sprayed into the crowd of people leaving the game, striking Fanta, her 12-year-old sister, and two other individuals. Fanta was struck in the back and died in her mother's arms.
Initially, prosecutors charged Ford and Strand with first-degree murder in Fanta's death, under the legal theory of 'transferred intent,' arguing their actions led to the police response that killed her. This decision sparked outrage and protests from the community, who felt the focus should be on the officers who fired the fatal shots. Following a grand jury investigation, the murder charges against Ford and Strand were dropped. Instead, the three officers were charged with voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of reckless endangerment. All three officers were subsequently fired.
The two teenagers involved in the initial shooting faced separate legal consequences. Hasein Strand pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for wounding a bystander during the gunfight and to illegal possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 32 to 64 months in prison. Angelo Ford, after being on the run for a year, was convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault for his role in the initial shootout and was sentenced to 14 to 28 years in state prison.
In November 2022, the three former police officers reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, with the support of Fanta Bility's family. Brian Devaney, Sean Dolan, and Devon Smith pleaded guilty to 10 counts of reckless endangerment each. The more serious charges of manslaughter were dropped as part of the deal. In May 2023, the three former officers were sentenced to five years of probation, with the first 11 months to be served under house arrest. During the emotional sentencing hearing, the officers apologized to Fanta's family, who in turn offered their forgiveness. The Bility family also filed a federal lawsuit against the borough of Sharon Hill, which resulted in an $11 million settlement.
