Ex-Philadelphia police officer pleads guilty in shooting death of 12-year-old boy

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A fired Philadelphia police officer has pleaded guilty to murder in the shooting of a fleeing 12-year-old boy. Prosecutors have said the boy was on the ground and unarmed when Edsaul Mendoza fired the fatal shot. Mendoza also pleaded guilty Friday to possession of an instrument of crime as part of a plea deal with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. A sentencing date has not been disclosed. Mendoza had been charged with first- and third-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of Thomas “T.J.” Siderio in March 2022. Mendoza was a five-year veteran of the force and was fired a week after the shooting.