Three former PA police officers plead guilty in the fatal shooting of 8-year-old Fanta Bility

Three former Pennsylvania police officers who were accused of shooting an 8-year-old girl after opening fire on a crowd leaving a high school football game have pleaded guilty to charges in relation to her death.

Fanta Bility was leaving game in August last year with her mom and 12-year-old sister when gun fight broke out between the officers, Brian Devaney, 42, Sean Dolan, 26, and Devon Smith, 35 and a group of teenagers.

Fanta was shot in the chest and succumbed her injuries after being taken to hospital. Two other children, including Fanta’s sister were also caught in the crossfire.

The former officers each pleaded guilty to 10 counts of reckless endangerment for their part in Fanta’s death, a spokesperson from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office told CNN.

The officers were initially charged with an additional one count of manslaughter and one count of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement, 6 ABC reported.

The officer who fired the fatal shot reportedly claimed that he was returning fire.

Fanta’s family agreed to the plea deal as they were satisfied that each officer accepted responsibility in Fanta’s wrongful death.

“Over this past year, the hurt caused by Sharon Hill Borough and its police department has overcome my family with tremendous grief,” Bility’s family said in a statement, according to CNN. “The agony we feel constantly reliving the loss of our dear Fanta who was just 8 years old when she was killed by Sharon Hill police officers, is impossible to describe with words.”

“Since her mother and siblings were witnesses to this tragic incident, they will have to live with that trauma imprinted in their memories for the rest of their lives.”

“She had her own style, and she was very confident,” Fanta’s cousin Mariam Sanoe said last year. “She was funny. She made everybody laugh. Everybody loved her in the community.”

The sentencing date for the officers has been scheduled for January 12th.