2 suspects, including gunman, plead guilty in killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O'Connor
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two suspects charged with murdering Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O'Connor have pleaded guilty in federal court.
Those suspects, Hassan Elliott and Khalif Sears, entered the pleas on Wednesday morning.
In court, Elliott admitted that he was the one who shot and killed O'Connor.
"It was horrible," said O'Connor's widow, Terri. "I couldn't take my eyes off the man who killed Jimmy."
Sgt. O'Connor was shot while a SWAT team was serving a search warrant on the 1600 block of Bridge Street in Frankford in March 2020.
"He took everything from us," she said. "And we're really glad we didn't have to sit through a two-month trial because two hours is torture."
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel was there for the hearing and said that while he is not necessarily happy with the plea deal, he is satisfied.
"When we lose an officer like this, it's tragic to us all. But it's more important than ever that we ensure justice is served when they come under attack," said Bethel.
Two other suspects in this case, Kelvin Jiminez and Dominique Parker, will head to trial.
All four were charged in connection with O'Connor's killing.
Sgt. O'Connor was a 23-year veteran of the police force and served on the SWAT unit for 15 years. He was a corporal at the time of his death and was posthumously promoted to sergeant.
Terri O'Connor was Sgt. O'Connor's high school sweetheart. They raised two children: his son James, the 6th district police officer, and daughter Kelsey, who is in the Air Force.
O'Connor and his wife welcomed their first granddaughter five months before he died.
His funeral was delayed nearly two months due to restrictions on public gatherings put in place during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
