Updated on 8/3/22 to include Hall family statement:
The police killing of a Monroe County teenager is under renewed scrutiny.
A federal grand jury is now investigating the death of Christian Hall, the 19-year-old Chinese-American who was shot by Pennsylvania State Police on Dec. 30, 2020. The information was posted on Facebook and Instagram by the Hall family Monday.
In a statement to WVIA on Aug. 3, a representative from the Hall family said they are feeling positive.
"We appreciate and are comforted by the fact that an independent federal grand jury is investigating Christian’s homicide," the family representative wrote. "We feel fortunate that there is a video of the homicide, so that the grand jury can see what actually happened, instead of having to rely on the accounts of others."
The family also said they did not want to say more so as to not affect the grand jury: "We would only want to state that we are thankful for all who have supported our fight for justice for Christian Hall and amplified our voices."
State troopers killed Hall about 90 minutes after he called 911, threatening to end his life on the ledge of a Route 33 overpass in Stroudsburg. At one point, he was holding a pellet gun that resembled a firearm.
The Monroe County District Attorney’s office ruled Hall’s death justified in March 2021, showing footage of the incident during a virtual press conference. However, the video was blurred at the moment state troopers opened fire.
The Hall family has persisted, pushing for an independent investigation. His family and attorneys participated in a virtual town hall meeting organized by the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance shortly after the Monroe County ruling.
“You have the [Monroe County] DA who works closely with the state troopers out here on a regular basis. How objective is he going to be?” Gareth Hall, Christian’s father, said.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office did not weigh in on the case, because the Monroe County DA decided to not refer the case for further review.
The uncensored footage was later obtained and analyzed by Spotlight PA and NBC News, showing Hall’s hands were in the air when he was shot.
Hall’s family and lawyers attended rallies in cities including Philadelphia and New York to garner support for an independent look at Christian’s death.
Attorney Benjamin Crump is representing the Hall family alongside Mechanicsburg Attorney Devon M. Jacob, a former police officer turned civil rights lawyer.
This March, the lawyers filed a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on behalf of Christian Hall’s parents, Gareth and Fe.
As defendants, the suit names Charles S. Phelps, Ian D. Macmillan, Robert Evanchik as well as two John Does of the Pennsylvania State Police; Monroe County; Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine Jr.; and Assistant DA Michael Mancuso.
“Hopefully this leads to transparency and accountability in the quest for #JusticeForChristianHall!” Crump said in a statement posted online on Tuesday.
Crump has represented the families of high-profile police killings such George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Martin Lee Anderson, and Breonna Taylor.
