Philadelphia Teen Sentenced to 25-50 Years in Prison for Attempted Murder of Philadelphia Police Officers

A Philadelphia teenager was sentenced this week for an incident which occurred last November in which two Philadelphia Police officers were wounded. The teenager was a run-away who was living illegally in a Northeast Philadelphia; unbeknownst to the owner and property manager. He and his cousin ran an operation from a room in the house in which they would sell crack-cocaine out-of the window.

On November 13, 2007, a dozen officers from the Philadelphia Police’s Narcotics Field Unit arrived at the home with a search warrant, announcing themselves when they arrived. Instantaneously, bullets began flying out-of the rear bedroom window of the house; the teen had grabbed a Glock-pistol and began firing. Two officers were wounded, one shot in the leg and the other in the hip. When the bullets stopped, the officers carefully entered the home and arrested the two men.

The teenager pled guilty to attempted murder, recklessly endangering another person, weapons, drugs, and criminal-trespass offenses in July. At his sentencing hearing this week, he stated that he was unaware that the people outside on the day of the incident were police officers, and had he had known, he would never have fired on officers doing their job. The officers, however, announced themselves as police officers and were either in uniform or plain-clothed with bullet-proof vests, displaying police across the chest. He was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison for the charges stemming from the November incident. His cousin pled guilty to drug offenses and will be sentenced next week.

Felony Crimes

Felony offenses are the most serious crimes and carry potential prison sentences of over one year if convicted. In Pennsylvania, violent crimes committed while visibly possessing a firearm carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 5-years in prison if convicted. Other circumstances can increase the sentence.

If you have been charged with a felony criminal offense, contact the Law Offices of Marc Neff immediately. We will assist you in your defense and can potentially lessen or eliminate the charges against you.