Fanta Bility

Date: 8/27/2021          Location: Sharon Hill, PA      FACTORS (2,8,9,13,20)       

Name: Fanta Bility                             

Criminal History/Involved: NA./ Yes, Angelo Ford and Hasein Strand shot at each other during a dispute.

Mental Illness: NA.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: NA./ None stated.

Race/Sex/Age: Black/Female/8

Officer(s) involved: Three Sharon Hill police officers                                                        

What prompted the initial contact with police? On the evening of August 27, 2021, three Sharon Hill police officers were patrolling in the vicinity of high school football game.

Actions taken by subject towards police: When they were approximately 140 feet from the officers, Angelo “AJ” Ford, and Hasein Strand elevated their verbal argument with each other into a shootout. Neither of the two suspects managed to hit the other, but one of their shots hit an innocent bystander in the crowd and caused the nearby officers to think they were being shot at by subjects in a passing vehicle.

Reactions by the police: Fearing their lives were in jeopardy from shooters in a nearby vehicle, the three officers shot more than a dozen times at the vehicle. None of the officers’ bullets hit the vehicle, which ended up not being involved in the initial shooting, but they did injure 2 innocent bystanders and tragically killed eight-year-old Fanta Bility.

Outcome of investigation into the fatal police incident: The District Attorney is investigating the officers’ conduct and a grand jury will decide if they were justified in using deadly force. Along with the murder of Bility, both Ford and Strand have been charged with “five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault and endangerment, and other gun-related charges.” The cops are facing civil lawsuits.

What could the subject have done that day to still be alive today? N/A, Fanta Bility was an innocent bystander who did nothing wrong.

Justified Use of Deadly Force? YES, just like the bystanders who were screaming and running for cover upon hearing the initial gunfight between Ford and Strand, the officers reasonably feared for their lives and justifiably returned fire at the vehicle from which they believed they were being fired upon. While the officers were justified, considering the large crowd in the background they should have held their fire unless they actually saw someone in the vehicle pointing a weapon towards them.