The alleged shooter, 36-year-old Maurice Hill, who injured 6 police officers in an almost 8-hour standoff in Philadelphia, has an “extensive” criminal history that includes being arrested at least a dozen times since the age of 18.
He had been in and out of prison since 2002 for charges of illegal possession of firearms and aggravated assault, reported Fox 29.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said that he was surprised Hill gave himself up and came out knowing he would go back to prison.
Alleged Philadelphia shooter “has been arrested about a dozen times since turning 18, and convicted six times on charges that involved illegal possession of guns, drug dealing, and aggravated assault.” https://t.co/J6SbAjxaev
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) August 15, 2019
“I am surprised he came out because he was indicating to some that he wasn’t going to do that and that he was not going back,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. “Many of you have found out about his history. It’s very significant. In fact, he told me on the phone, he used the word ‘extensive,’ he had an extensive criminal history and that he knew the system. This is why he was making the outlandish demands he was making.”
Ross had been negotiating with him for hours and at one point during the standoff, the police commissioner said that the alleged shooter was in contact with his girlfriend through his phone on video chat. Based on this negotiators used the information about his newborn daughter and his girlfriend to “appeal to him and his sense of reasoning,” Ross said, reported Fox5.
JUST IN: The suspected gunman, identified as Maurice Hill, has been released from Temple University Hospital where he was taken for evaluation after surrendering to authorities just after midnight Thursday. https://t.co/2tXYAibWtJ pic.twitter.com/wAwe4SFJsH
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) August 15, 2019
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said that Hill “should not have been on the streets,” but that the police did not have a “crystal ball” to foresee his actions, reported Fox.
Krasner told reporters that “There are more than enough charges, so Mr. Maurice Hill may never exit jail,” going on to say Hill may be facing a number of charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and likely drug charges.
#breaking: Standoff with gunman has ended more than 7 hours after a shooting incident left 9 Philadelphia officers hurt; six of which were shot. Multiple sources confirmed to @6abc, shooter is 34-year-old Maurice Hill.
DETAILS: https://t.co/H7ujpKocTB pic.twitter.com/qPjr0tFO91
— Preston Phillips (@PrestonTVNews) August 15, 2019
Hill is a convicted felon, making his possession of a firearm illegal. Of the many past arrests and convictions, six involved illegal possession of guns.
Other convictions include drug dealing, assault, fleeing from police, perjury, and false imprisonment. Crimes he’s been charged with in the past, but not convicted of, include kidnapping, attempted murder, driving without a license, and recklessly endangering another person, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Krasner said Hill fired more than 100 rounds during the standoff, and credited the authorities with “brilliant policing and maybe a little bit of a miracle” for wrapping up the whole situation.
PHILADELPHIA SHOOTING: The attorney for suspected gunman Maurice Hill said a four-way phone call including Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Police Commissioner Richard Ross led to the end of a seven-hour plus standoff. https://t.co/GCVYdAgl9j
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) August 15, 2019
“Maurice called me in a panic, obviously,” his lawyer, Shaka Johnson, told CBS Philadelphia. “He did not want this to end violently and he really was sort of taking an opportunity to speak his peace. I told him ‘You gotta surrender, man,'” He said Hill was not injured but was checked out at a hospital before being released around 3 a.m.
“They’re going to kill me. They’re going to kill me,” Johnson remembered Hill saying to him over the phone.
Attorney Shaka Johnson helped negotiate the successful surrender of the mentally ill, lone wolf Philadelphia shooting suspect Maurice Hill, who had a Cliven Bundy-type standoff with Philly police#BlueLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/T1tpwC8sqn
— Tariq Nasheed ???????? (@tariqnasheed) August 15, 2019
Johnson said that the police commissioner gave him half an hour to convince Hill to surrender.
“Mr. Hill and I talked about this. They don’t typically, in scenarios like this, take black defendants into custody. This is what he and I talked about on the phone,” Johnson told FOX29. “I said, ‘My man, this is looking pretty grave for you. The world is watching. That may be one of the things giving police some pause because the world is watching. Use this time wisely.’”
Court Records: Maurice Hill has a long criminal history with arrests for attempted murder, firearms, kidnapping, and drug dealing. History dates back to 2001 when he was just 18 years old. pic.twitter.com/lpG8c5YOfL
— Chad Pradelli (@chadpradelli) August 15, 2019
President Trump commented on Twitter, advocating a tougher stance on street crime.
“The Philadelphia shooter should never have been allowed to be on the streets. He had a long and very dangerous criminal record. Looked like he was having a good time after his capture, and after wounding so many police. Long sentence – must get much tougher on street crime!” President Trump wrote.
The Philadelphia shooter should never have been allowed to be on the streets. He had a long and very dangerous criminal record. Looked like he was having a good time after his capture, and after wounding so many police. Long sentence – must get much tougher on street crime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019
Maurice Hill, 36, will likely to be charged with six counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault, his longtime attorney says. He called his attorney around 8:30 p.m. and “wanted to try to figure a way out.” https://t.co/xkw0ENk8JR pic.twitter.com/bwmk1SaVXq
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) August 15, 2019
The Epoch Times reporter Zachary Steiber contributed to this report.
