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The footage, which was released on Wednesday, April 21st, shows that Danville Police Officer Andrew Hall was justified in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Tyrell Wilson, a homeless man who was seen jaywalking on the video.
The footage shows Hall telling Wilson to “come here” as he walked in the middle of an intersection and allegedly threw rocks at passing cars back on March 11th. The audio from the video footage says:
“Come here, come here. We’re not playing this game, dude. You’re jaywalking, you’re throwing rocks.”
Wilson reportedly ignores the officer’s verbal commands. Hall then identifies himself as a police officer in Danville before Wilson threatened him by saying, “don’t (expletive) touch me, touch me and see what’s up.”
The video then shows Wilson pulling out a knife and he initially backed up before stepping toward the officer while holding the weapon and telling Hall to “kill me.”
Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston said that the footage exonerates Hall in the fatal shooting of Wilson, who died days later.
He said:
“Any loss of life is tragic, but the community can now see the truth. He did threaten Officer Hall and he did start advancing toward Officer Hall in the middle of a major intersection.
Officers are forced to make split-second decisions to protect themselves and the public and that’s what happened here.”
A Danville police officer facing charges for shooting and killing a 33-year-old man in 2018 turned himself in Thursday night, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. https://t.co/NJKRqlpgRH pic.twitter.com/vQGsHmrOSG
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) April 23, 2021
The video footage was released the same day as Hall was charged by Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. Hall was charged with voluntary manslaughter and felony assault with a semi-automatic firearm for fatally shooting Laudemer Arboleda, 33, during a vehicle pursuit in November 2018.
Becton stated that Hall, who was not involved in the initial case, used “unreasonable and unnecessary force” when he shot Arboleda nine times during the pursuit in Danville that reached maximum speeds of 50 mph. She said:
“Officer Hall’s actions underscore the need for a continued focus on de-escalation training and improved coordinated responses to individuals suffering from mental illness.”
Livingston stated that he planned to return Hall to non-patrol duty as he was put on administrative leave following the shooting of Wilson.
As of Wednesday, April 21st, Hall had not been taken into custody. According to officials, Hall has been on the police force for seven-and-a-half years.
However, Becton stated that a judge signed an arrest warrant and set his bail at $220,000.
If convicted, Hall faces up to 22 years in prison. Hall’s attorney, Harry Stern, stated that Becton’s office previously deemed Hall’s use of force justified in the Arboleda case.
Video Footage of Tyrell Wilson Killing Released – as Same Danville Officer Charged in Another Death | KQED https://t.co/GsoQGC3r0N
— Tye Brewer (@jixsoninc) April 23, 2021
Stern said that the timing of their sudden reversal in deciding to file charges seems “suspect and overtly political.” In terms of Wilson’s fatal shooting, Stern’s partner, Michael Rains said that:
“Wilson disobeyed three separate commands to drop the knife.”
He added:
“I am confident there is no legal basis for the District Attorney to charge Officer Hall in the fatal shooting of Mr. Wilson because Mr. Wilson posed, at the time the single round was fired, an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to Officer Hall.”
Civil rights attorney John Burris has also filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of Wilson’s family, alleging a series of missteps, such as not attempting to create space between Hall and Wilson and not taking cover after Wilson allegedly drew a knife.
Burris is also representing the Arboleda family in their own wrongful death suit. Barris alleged that if the DA’s office had acted more quickly in the Arboleda case and not take nearly three years to charge Hall, Wilson might still be alive.
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