Philadelphia DA speaks on charges in shooting of Philadelphia police officers
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner held a news conference Monday morning to discuss charges against the man accused of shooting six Philadelphia police officers as well as four additional people in relation to the incident.
Krasner began his address by saying he would be offering limited information, "much more limited than we had hoped to present today."
He said the investigation was so enormous and still ongoing, that he could not risk stepping on the activity of the Philadelphia Police Department in this case.
"This will take time," said Krasner. "It could take months to complete the investigation, but it will be done correctly."
Maurice Hill, 36 faces the following charges:
Multiple counts of Murder-Attempt to Commit, multiple counts of Aggravated of Assault, multiple counts of Assault of Law Enforcement Officer, multiple counts of Simple Assault, multiple counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, multiple counts of Unlawful Restraint, Criminal Conspiracy, Possessing Instruments of Crime, Possession of Firearm with Altered Manufacture's Number, Violation of Uniform Firearms Act-Former Convict, Causing-Risking a Catastrophe, Control Substance Act-Manufacture/Delivery/Possession with Intent to Deliver, and Control Substance Act- Knowingly/Intentionally Possession of Control Substance.
The work at the scene continues for detectives collecting all of the necessary evidence, including dozens of bullet fragments.
"We are in the process of digging those out of cars and structures like houses and ceilings and walls," said Anthony Voci, Philadelphia Police Department's chief of homicide. "That process is extremely, extremely time consuming."
Voci said there is doorbell camera video from homes nearby the shootout as well as many other street cameras to log and mark as evidence.
"There's over 250 body-worn camera and the footage from those cameras have to be processed," he said.
Krasner said not to expect to hear many more details about the investigation as detectives continue to collect these items for evidence. He also reiterated the charges brought against Maurice Hill over the weekend.
Hill stands accused of opening fire on six police officers during an hourslong standoff in the Tioga-Nicetown section of the city last Wednesday. He will face a judge on September 5, 2019.
Four other men were also arrested and charged in connection with the narcotics warrant carried out on Wednesday. They face narcotics possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy charges.
Families in the neighborhood are working to recover from what they went through during the standoff.
One woman who lives next door to where Hill was barricaded spoke about her experience, anonymously.
During the barricade situation, she and her three children were on the floor, terrified they'd be hit in the crossfire. Their glass door was blown out by a bullet during the shooting.
Eventually, the family was evacuated by heavily armed officers.
"The SWAT team came in about 15 to 20 of them, with their long guns. Yelling questions at us about how to get them in the house (next door), meanwhile we're just scared out of our minds," said the woman.
Today, they are packing up to move.
"We will not be living here any longer after this. This is not home. Home is somewhere you consider safe, and this is not home anymore."
Authorities have said that the criminal background of suspect Maurice Hill should have prevented him from legally owning the firepower used during the standoff that lasted deep into the night.
Hill had at least a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun when he opened fire Wednesday afternoon on officers serving a drug warrant, authorities said.
His record includes multiple arrests in Philadelphia and adjacent Delaware County between 2001 and 2012, according to online records.
Hill's criminal convictions include assault, perjury, fleeing and eluding, escape and weapons offenses.
He served two stints in state prisons - three, counting a return for a probation violation. He was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison term over a pair of convictions for being a felon in possession of firearms.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has expressed amazement that the standoff ended with no one dead and no life-threatening injuries, despite the gunman firing over 100 rounds.
The six officers who were struck by gunfire were released after being treated at hospitals Wednesday night.
Hill's lawyer, Shaka Johnson, said Hill called him during the standoff asking for help surrendering. Johnson then called Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, and they patched in both Hill and the police commissioner, according to Krasner.
Hill told Johnson he wanted to make it out alive to see his newborn daughter and teenage son again.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
