Escaped Teen Charged In Fanta Bility Killing Captured In Philadelphia

A 17-year-old boy accused of starting the gunfight that killed 8-year-old Fanta Bility outside of an Academy Park High School football game in August 2021 is back in police custody after months of being on the run, authorities said.

Anthony Ford.
Photo Credit: *Sharon Hill PD*

Cecilia Levine

02/15/2023 7:51 a.m.

Anthony "AJ" Ford made a swift escape from a youth facility where he was being held on an attempted murder charge in February 2022.

He was captured in Philadelphia Saturday, Feb. 11, and transferred to police in Sharon Hill, Philadelphia police tell Daily Voice.

It was not immediately clear if additional charges will be filed for the escape.

Ford and Hasein Strand, 18, of Collingdale, were initially charged with murder in the shooting, however, those charges were withdrawn and three Sharon Hill police officers were slapped with manslaughter charges as they fired their weapons, killing Bility, as Daily Voice previously reported.

Strand had fired shots toward the three officers monitoring the game, and the Sharon Hill officers -- Devon Smith, Sean Dolan, and Brian Devaney -- fired back, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said.

Bullets from the officers' service weapons were the ones that killed Fanta, the DA said.

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