SWAT Officer Killed In Philadelphia Reportedly Serving Homicide Warrant

A police officer in Philadelphia was killed Friday while serving a warrant for an alleged 2019 homicide and robbery.

SWAT Cpl. James O’Connor, 46, was shot outside a home in the Frankford neighborhood around 5:40 a.m. He was there with his SWAT team to arrest suspect Hassan Elliott, 21. Shots reportedly were fired at the team from behind a closed door on the house’s second floor, sparking a short shootout that wounded O’Connor and two people at the home.

O’Connor was struck in the shoulder and rushed to the Temple University Hospital for treatment, but was pronounced dead around 6 a.m.

The other two injured, whose names were withheld, were hit in their “lower extremities” and brought to Einstein Medical Center. They are reportedly in stable condition and expected to recover.

“Elliott is currently in custody,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told reporters. “We expect to bring charges for the March 2019 murder and additional charges following today’s incident shortly.”

O’Connor was a 23-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, serving on the SWAT team for the last 15 years. The department offered its condolences in a post on Twitter.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney spoke about O’Connor’s death at Temple University Hospital alongside Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

“I am grief-stricken to learn of the tragic death of Philadelphia Police Cpl. James O’Connor,” Kenney told reporters. “Today, like every day, he demonstrated the ultimate form of heroism: putting out his uniform, leaving his family and carrying out his sworn duty to protect the residents of this city.”