Ex-officers get house arrest in girl’s gunfire death at game

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three fired police officers who pleaded to misdemeanor charges in the death of an 8-year-old girl killed when they opened fire outside a high school football game near Philadelphia have been sentenced to 11 months of house arrest during five years of probation. Former Sharon Hill officers Brian Devaney, Devon Smith and Sean Dolan had pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. Investigators say they could not determine which officer fired the shot that killed Fanta Bility. Prosecutors contend the officers negligently fired 25 shots at a car they mistakenly thought was involved in gunfire outside the game in August 2021. The initial handling of the case sparked outrage, but the family accepted the defendants’ apologies in court Friday.