JUSTICE FOR FANTA BILITY
Help us get justice for Fanta Bility.
The three officers have been charged but the momentum and pressure must continue to ensure this does not get swept under the rug.
8-year old Fanta Bility, murdered by 3 Sharon Hill officers on August 27, 2021.
-
Fanta Bility was an 8-year old girl who attended a football game at Academy Park High School on August 27. Shots rang out a block away on Kenny & Coates Street in Sharon Hill, PA where 3 officers proceeded to open fire into a crowd and moving car coming around the corner. The officers reacted 12 seconds after hearing the original shots nearby by firing 25+ shots with no specific target and shot from a very significant distance. Four people were wounded, including Fanta and her older sister. Unfortunately, Fanta did not make it as a result of the gunshot wound. Instead of holding the officers accountable, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office initially charged the two teens that were shooting on Kenny & Coates Street with first degree murder. 16-year old Angelo “AJ” Ford and 18-year old Hasein Strand are currently being tried as adults for a crime they did not commit. Hasein and AJ have been in custody since October while the officers have been on paid administrative leave. The DA called for a grand jury, which began mid-November, to deny holding the officers’ accountable.
Hasein Strand is serving up to a 7-year sentence while Angelo “AJ” Ford’s sentencing is still underway. The trial for the recently terminated officers, Sean Dolan, Devon Smith, and Brian Devaney, is scheduled to begin on July 25, 2022. A private independent investigation was conducted by Kelley Hodge from Fox Rothschild law firm. The Kelley Hodge report investigates Sharon Hill Police Department and Sharon Hill Borough’s policies and procedures, including their use of force policy. The Kelley Hodge report has been completed since mid-June, 2022, however it has not been released to the Bility family nor the public. Sharon Hill Borough announced that they will be releasing the report to the public no later than July 31.
-
Here’s what you can do to help us hold Sharon Hill PD and the Delaware County DA’s Office accountable:
Follow the step-by-step instructions listed on the link below.
Action Toolkit on Behalf of Fanta Bility, Hasein Strand, and Angelo Ford
In our recent Joint Statement published on July 15, 2022, we have attached another Call to Action. Follow the step-by-step instructions listed on the link below.
-
The grand jury concluded on January 18, 2022 and has recommended charges against the officers. Former Sharon Hill Police Officers Devon Smith, Sean Dolan, and Brian Devaney have turned themselves in. They have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, voluntary manslaughter and ten counts of reckless endangerment for all three officers. The ten counts are in relation to ten witnesses who stated that their lives were in danger. Preliminary hearings are set for January 27. The officers are out on a $500,000 unsecured bail and have already been released.
For more information, read the January 2022 UDTJ and Delco Resists Joint Statement here.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINING!
After the announcement of the three Officers being charged the movement continues. It has taken months to even get charges filed but we must ensure that this case does not get swept under the rug. Furthermore, many cracks were found in our justice system and we must continue to work collectively as a united front until real reforms are implementing ensuring this never happens again. Stay tuned and stay informed.
