Philadelphia police officers and officials joined friends and family of fallen SWAT Sgt. James O'Connor on Thursday to remember the man who died in the line of duty five years ago.
During the day, in a memorial held at SWAT headquarters, located along the 8500 block of State Road in Northeast Philadelphia, attendees offered somber reflections on O'Connor's life and what he meant to the city and its people.
In taking a moment to address the crowd, First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford noted the famous quote that "time heals all wounds" isn't always true.
"Although time may not necessarily heal, maybe you will find comfort in knowing that we will never forget Jimmy and we will never forget his sacrifice, what he gave this department, what he gave this city and how much he truly loved what he did everyday, which was giving it all to the City of Philadelphia and this police department," said Stanford.
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In a tearful remembrance of her husband, Terri O'Connor said that the SWAT team members have been like family as she has continued to visit the team's headquarters regularly after her husband's death.
"This is where Jimmy would want us to be today," she said.
Often, O'Connor said, she brings her grandkids here to "play with pops' friends," and, when they visit, they always make sure to hug the fallen sergeant's locker when they pass by it.
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"If you knew Jim, you know he always said 'nothing in life is easy,'" she said, remembering home improvement projects that took far too long. "I have to joke he would definitely be saying he couldn't even die in the line of duty right. So much he missed out on. So much more recognition that he deserved and some circumstances that are still hard to process."
O’Connor was killed on Friday, March 13, 2020, when he was part of a crew working to apprehend suspects in a 2019 homicide.
That day, as police climbed an interior stairwell at Elliott's apartment on Bridge Street near Duffield Street, one of the suspects fired a dozen shots through a wall, hitting O’Connor in the neck and arm.
Two men, Hassan Elliott, 26, and Khalif Sears, 23, have plead guilty for their roles in O'Connor's death.
Federal prosecutors said they were part of a gang that had shot a dozen people, killing three, as they sought to control drug sales in the city's Frankford section.
Officials said that O'Connor had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 23 years and had been a member of the SWAT team for 15 years.
He was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
He is survived by his wife and two children and, officials said, one of his sons also served with the Philadelphia Police Department.
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