Man who killed Philly SWAT officer gets 75 years in prison

Judge presiding over court session while preparing official documentation with gavel in hand during legal proceedings concept — Source: Nadzeya Haroshka / Getty

A man who pleaded guilty to his involvement in the March 2020 shooting that left Philadelphia Police Department SWAT Cpl. James O’Connor dead, has been sentenced to spend the next 75 years in prison.

Hassan Elliott, 26, took the stand at his own sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, after pleadeding guilty to murder and racketeering charges earlier in the year. Shortly before he was sentenced, Elliott said that while he apologized to the family of the man he killed, he grew up thinking violence was “right.”

“To us, we’re under the illusion that it’s right,” Elliott told the court, saying he grew up around violence.

Kelsey O’Connor, daughter of James O’Connor, took the stand to express her sentiments of grief and the loss of her father. She was scheduled to be married a year after her father’s 2020 shooting death.

“You deserve to feel alone, miserable and worthless,” she told Elliott. “You’re the one that gets to hurt now… I want you to know that I hate you.”

Terri O’Connor, the victim’s wife, shared similar sentiments.

“You made me a single mother,” she said, shooting glances at Elliott several times. “He will forever be remembered as a hero.”

SEE ALSO

Man who killed Philly SWAT officer gets 75 years in prison was originally published on rnbphilly.com