In the early morning hours of March 13, 2020, Philadelphia Police Corporal James O'Connor, a 46-year-old male, was part of a SWAT team operation in the city's Frankford section. A 23-year veteran of the force and a member of the SWAT unit for 15 years, O'Connor was there to serve a homicide warrant. As the team entered the residence on Bridge Street, they announced their presence multiple times.
From behind a closed second-floor door, a man opened fire with a semi-automatic assault rifle, striking O'Connor. The shot proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital. In the wake of his death, Corporal O'Connor was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
The warrant O'Connor and his team were serving was for Hassan Elliott, then 21 years old, who was wanted in connection with a murder from the previous year. Inside the house with Elliott were three other men: Bilal Mitchell, 20; Khalif Sears, 19; and Sherman Easterling, 25. Investigators later identified them as members of a violent drug trafficking group known as '1700 Scattergood.' Following the shooting, all four men were taken into custody. A search of the house uncovered multiple firearms, including the rifle used to kill Sergeant O'Connor, as well as crack cocaine, marijuana, and drug packaging materials.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, federal charges were brought against the four men. The indictment included charges of murder, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. Hassan Elliott ultimately pleaded guilty to the murder of Sergeant O'Connor, as well as to racketeering conspiracy and other drug trafficking and gun offenses. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Khalif Sears also entered a guilty plea for his role in the events that led to O'Connor's death. Two other individuals connected to the drug trafficking organization, Kelvin Jimenez and Dominique Parker, were later convicted at trial. The investigation revealed that Elliott was also responsible for other fatal shootings.
