Antonio Hammond was convicted Tuesday of kidnapping and other offenses related to a May 2023 incident in which he held a 2-year-old girl hostage in her Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, home. The Dauphin County District Attorney's Office announced the jury's verdict.
The trial included footage from the early minutes of the standoff, showing Hammond holding the child while her mother, Michele Peters, recorded him on her cell phone at his demand. Police had surrounded the residence, ordering Hammond to surrender.
In the video, Hammond can be heard telling Peters that police were "trying to kill me" and urging her to "trust in God." Peters pleaded with Hammond to release her daughter, stating, "Give me my baby, please! You're scaring her." She also told Hammond, "You've got my pride and my joy and I don't know you."
Authorities said Hammond, who had absconded from parole, was spotted by officers on the day of the incident. When officers attempted to stop him due to a visible firearm, he fled. During the pursuit, Hammond pointed a pistol at the officers and pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not fire, according to the DA's office.
Hammond then broke into Peters' apartment, taking her daughter hostage. He believed being filmed would prevent police from shooting him. Peters managed to escape with her infant daughter, but Hammond continued to hold the toddler.
After nearly six hours, a Crisis Response Team entered the home. Hammond was holding the toddler with a semi-automatic pistol, pointing it at the entry team and then placing the muzzle against the child's face. A CRT member forced the handgun down and shot Hammond. The toddler was then safely rescued, and Hammond was treated by medics at the scene.