Overview

• Thomas ‘T.J.’ Siderio was shot on March 1, 2022, in South Philadelphia after he fired at an unmarked police car during a social media tip investigation.
• Officer Edsaul Mendoza chased Siderio, who had discarded his weapon, and fired the fatal shot into the boy’s back while he was on the ground unarmed.
• Mendoza pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and unlawful possession of an instrument of crime in April 2024 and received an eight- to 20-year prison sentence.
• The Philadelphia Police Department dismissed Mendoza one week after the shooting for violating its use-of-force guidelines.
• Under the terms of the agreement, the city and Mendoza are released from any future civil liability related to the case.