Hassan Elliott, suspect in killing of Philadelphia police officer James O'Connor, pleads guilty
One of the suspects charged with murdering Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O'Connor has pleaded guilty in federal court.
Hassan Elliott had originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea in court on Wednesday morning.
He and three others were charged in connection with O'Connor's killing in March of 2020.
He was shot while a SWAT team was serving a search warrant on the 1600 block of Bridge Street in Frankford.
A hearing is also scheduled Wednesday for a second suspect in that case.
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.
O'Connor was married to his high school sweetheart, Terri. 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.
