The Bombing: May 13, 1985
Dublin Core
Title
The Bombing: May 13, 1985
Description
Police and fire crews arrived on the morning of May 13, 1985 to serve arrest warrants for several MOVE members and to evict them from their compound on 6221 Osage Avenue. MOVE decided not to leave without a fight. The shooting lasted all day, with neither side gaining an inch.
The city decided to drop a bomb on the roof of the compound to end the standoff. By the end of the night, much of the city block was on fire.
Go to The Aftermath
The city decided to drop a bomb on the roof of the compound to end the standoff. By the end of the night, much of the city block was on fire.
Go to The Aftermath
Collection Items
6 Bodies in Ashes of Radicals' Home; Assault Defended
The New York Times published a long story about the bombing. This article not only discusses the bombing but also the immediate justifications for assaulting the compound and dropping the bomb. Despite an evident lack of planning, city officials did…
Police Drop Bomb on Radicals' Home In Philadelphia
The bombing made the front page of the New York Times the next day. In this article, author William K. Stevens gives a general overview of the history of the group as well as an account of the bombing. Steve Harmon, an Osage Avenue resident, said of…
Untitled (WCAU Channel 10 Broadcast)
Local news stations showed the siege and the bombing in real time. This image was taken from a WCAU Channel 10 broadcast. After the bomb was dropped, cameras caught the fire spreading from the MOVE compound to surrounding properties. This event stuck…
Untitled (Fire Spreads Down Osage Avenue)
The fire soon spread to surrounding rowhouses, which quickly spread to cover the entire block. Firefighters were not sent to fight the flames. There are conflicting reports about whether or not Commissioner Sambor or Mayor Goode said to "let the fire…
Untitled (Firefighters Douse The Compound With Water)
As the standoff continued, the fire department tried using water from fire hoses to knock down the walls of the compound or the rooftop bunker. Water poured into the building, but failed to create an opening for police. After this failed, police…
Untitled (Neighbors Evacuate While Police Move In)
After talks to resolve the issue peacefully failed, police were given the order to advance on the compound. Commissioner Gregore Sambor addressed MOVE via megaphone: "Attention, MOVE! This is America." After one final attempt to convince the MOVE…
Untitled (Police Watch The Fire From The Rooftops)
As the fire spread to the entire block, police and fire crews watched it burn. Here, a police officer watches the fire from a nearby rooftop. While a later investigation would reveal that Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor and Fire Commissioner…
Untitled (The Bomb Is Dropped)
Police dropped the bomb from a state police helicopter as it flew over the compound. The target was a fortified bunker on the roof, which police planned to enter through once it collapsed. Lt. Frank Powell was ordered to drop the bomb. At about 5:30…
Untitled (Neighbors Watch Osage Avenue Burn)
Despite being evacuated from their homes, many residents watched as the fire spread to their properties. Due to the row homes being physically connected, it was very easy for the fire to spread from one home to the next. It took until about 11:00pm,…
The 1985 Move bombing in Philadelphia - The Confrontation
In 2010, the local newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer put together a series of interviews about the MOVE bombing. Here, police officers, city officials, and a member of MOVE all recall the events of May 13, 1985. Some footage from the confrontation…