A former Philadelphia police officer, who was fired after pleading guilty to murder in the shooting of a fleeing 12-year-old boy, has been sentenced to at least eight years in prison. The officer, a five-year veteran of the force, admitted to third-degree murder in the case.
The incident occurred in 2022 when the officer, identified as Edsaul Mendoza, fired a fatal shot into the back of Thomas “T.J.” Siderio, who was unarmed and on the ground at the time. Mendoza initially faced charges of first- and third-degree murder as well as voluntary manslaughter but accepted a plea deal.
