PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A jury has found Maurice Hill guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault in the 2019 shooting of Philadelphia police officers during an eight-hour standoff in North Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood.
It took about half an hour to read the verdict Monday afternoon. Hill remained stoic as Common Pleas Judge Diana Anhalt revealed three counts of attempted murder, nine counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, two gun-related charges and one count of causing catastrophe, among the 26 guilty charges. Hill was found not guilty of 19 other charges.
Hill had been on trial for nearly two weeks. It took the jury three days to reach a verdict.
On Aug. 14, 2019, six officers were injured during the standoff with Hill in North Philadelphia.
Throughout the eight-day trial, the jury heard testimony from each of the officers who were injured that day: A DNA expert, crime scene investigators and Hill himself, who told jurors he acted in self-defense, thinking there were intruders in his home.
In a testimony last month, police said when they went to serve a warrant at a home that day, they saw “activity” at another home two doors down. Per protocol, they went to secure the residence, which belonged to Hill.
A narcotics officer told jurors police used a battering ram and repeatedly announced themselves as they barged into his home, and that’s when Hill shot at the officers. More officers arrived in response to the gunfire. A day care filled with children across the street was evacuated as bullets whizzed nearby. Nearby homes were damaged during the barricade, and some residents were evacuated to safer areas. Traffic was gridlocked for hours.
“The sheer number of shots were crucial in this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Sean Perez. “The different types of ammunition used, the fact that there were fire cartridge casings all over the house — I think really pointed out to the jury this wasn’t just someone cowering in their back room, he was actively shooting at police officers for hours.”
On Friday, jurors sent a note to Anhalt stating they had reached verdicts on some charges but were hung on many others. They specifically asked how the charges related to self-defense claims.
“We weren’t debating that he fired; we were debating why he fired. And we wanted the jury to see what was going through his mind, and he has to take the stand for that,” said defense attorney Ellis Palividas, who represented Hill.
“And there was a total of 19 charges for which he was found not guilty of. So I think that that’s evidence that they at least gave due consideration to the matter. While we respectfully have a different opinion on the matter, all we can ask for is a fair opportunity to be heard on it.”
Hill is scheduled to be sentenced in July.