Maurice Hill gets trial for police standoff case pushed back

Maurice Hill, the man who allegedly fired at dozens of Philadelphia police officers in August 2019, will not stand trial until September 2022. 

The trial, which was set to begin Monday, has been postponed, according to 6ABC. Hill will not appear in court again until Jan. 18, when his attorneys will request certain evidence not be used during his trial. Jury selection also is expected to take longer than usual due to the attention the incident received. 

• MORE NEWS
• Man arrested in sexual assault on SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line, police say
  
• Five charged with allegedly stealing $1.1 million from Atlantic City casinos
  
• Philly police soon will no longer pull drivers over for minor infractions
  

Hill, 38, of Delaware County, is facing 62 sets of attempted murder and aggravated assault charges, among others, stemming from a seven-hour standoff in North Philly. The sets represent the number of officers allegedly fired upon during the standoff. 

The shootout started around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2019 after officers arrived at a home located on the 3700 block of North 15th Street to serve a narcotics warrant. Hill barricaded himself inside the house and used an assault rifle and other handguns to fire at police, prosecutors allege.

Six police officers sustained gunshot wounds and had to be hospitalized. Two cops were trapped inside the home for several hours before a SWAT team rescued them. No one was killed.

Police used tear gas to force Hill out of the row home. More than 200 rounds of ammunition were fired during the shootout, investigators said. 

Prior to the standoff, Hill had an extensive criminal record, including multiple arrests for assault and weapons offenses in Philadelphia and Delaware County between 2001 and 2012. Hill had served three sentences in state prison and a 55-month federal prison term.

Hill initially was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was denied bail at the time. District Attorney Larry Krasner later filed new attempted murder charges against him in December.