On December 30, 19-year-old Chinese American Christian Hall was shot and killed by Pennsylvania State Police. At the time of his shooting, Hall was said to be suicidal and experiencing a mental health crisis when officers were called to deescalate the situation.
Instead of providing assistance, they resorted to lethal force.
Police justified the killing by saying that Hall was wielding a handgun when they arrived at the scene. Initially, the officers reported that Hall had retrieved his gun and directed it at them, a narrative that was later contradicted by video footage that showed Hall with his hands in the air when he was shot.
Hall was the adopted child of two parents, Fe and Gareth Hall. Now, his family craves justice for their only son and has sought legal representation from civil rights attorneys Devon Jacob and Ben Crump, who is best known for representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
Noting that police brutality negatively affects several minority communities, Crump took on Hall’s case as a means of protecting those who experience racial injustice as well as those who suffer from mental health issues.
19yo Christian Hall needed HELP. On 12/30, he experienced a mental health crisis and @PAStatePolice were called to assist. Instead of helping Christian, deputies fatally shot him with his hands raised. This is NOT how cops should handle mental health crises! #JusticeForChristian pic.twitter.com/QVDggTq44u
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) February 3, 2021
“He was crying out for help. Christian Hall needed a helping hand,” Crump told the press. “But yet he got bullets while he had his hands up.”
Crump and Jacob have revealed their plans to file a lawsuit and they are demanding an internal investigation of the police department and Hall’s death.
