SWAT Officer Killed In Philadelphia Reportedly Serving Homicide Warrant

KEY POINTS

SWAT Cpl. James O'Connor was part of the team sent to arrest an alleged suspect in a homicide and robbery case from 2019
The team was reportedly shot at from behind a closed door on the second floor of the house
O'Connor was reportedly struck in the shoulder and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead

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.

RIP ⁦@PhillyPolice⁩ SWAT Corporal James O’Connor IV. He was killed in the line of duty this morning while serving a homicide warrant. @6abc 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/5oV3zLXPQp
— Annie McCormick (@6abcAnnie) March 13, 2020

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.

We are devastated to report the passing of PPD SWAT Officer Cpl. James O’Connor. Cpl. O'Connor, a married father of 2,was shot and killed this morning while serving a warrant on a homicide suspect. We stand with his family, friends, and everyone impacted by this senseless tragedy pic.twitter.com/gkfvdn9zNC
— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) March 13, 2020

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.”