Philadelphia officer who shot 12-year-old dead after shooting at police will be fired: ‘Lost sleep over this’

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw says, ‘It’s just a sickening and saddening situation all around’

The Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot a 12-year-old boy who allegedly opened fire on a group of officers will be fired, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

“I have made the decision to utilize Commissioner’s Direct Action to suspend Officer #1 with the intent to dismiss the officer at the end of 30 days due to violations of our use of force directive,” Outlaw said Tuesday in her first public address on the matter.

“I will tell you it’s difficult. It’s just a sickening and saddening situation all around,” she said about the situation. The officer who shot Siderio has only been identified as Officer #1. 

Thomas Siderio, 12, was fatally shot on March 1 in Philadelphia after four plain-clothed officers in an unmarked car saw him and a 17-year-old boy standing on a street corner, Fox 29 reported. The officers identified one of the boys as someone wanted for questioning in another case, according to investigators. 

The officers were approaching the two boys and activated their police lights on the vehicle when a gunshot rang out and hit the police car, according to police. One police officer was injured by shattered glass due to a bullet hitting the car’s back passenger window. 

“The evidence collected thus far that it was Thomas Siderio who discharged the firearm into the police vehicle,” Outlaw said Tuesday.

Two officers then reportedly exited the vehicle and each discharged their weapons once. Officer #1 continued chasing Siderio as the other officer took cover. Officer #1 fired two additional shots and struck Siderio in his back. 

Outlaw said the action violated the Philadelphia Police Department’s use of force directive. 

Outlaw declined on Tuesday to say whether Siderio still had a firearm when he was shot. Sources told Fox 29 that footage of the scene appeared to show Siderio did not have a gun when he was shot. A stolen 9mm handgun was recovered from the scene.

“I rarely lose sleep over work stuff. I’ve lost sleep over this,” Outlaw said Tuesday, noting that the case is one with no winners. “This does not reflect who we are.”

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