FONTANA, California – Surveillance video has surfaced showing Fontana police officers surrounding and gunning down a legally blind and mentally ill man at a convenience store.
The video, first obtained by the Daily Mail, documented the fatal shooting of James Hall, 47, during the early morning hours of Nov. 22, 2015, inside a Chevron gas station mini-mart.
Police were called to the gas station after they received a 911 call from the clerk reporting a possible robbery in progress at the business, near the intersection of Sierra and Slover avenues, according to a police statement.
Authorities say Hall was armed with a rock and knife when they arrived. The surveillance footage shows Hall with an item that appears to be a rock in one hand, but it wasn’t clear if he was also carrying a knife.
Initial reports said officers followed Hall into the store to protect the clerk and attempted to talk him into surrendering. Instead, the suspect “advanced on officers and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the news release said.
The video footage however, shows the five officers — some armed with handguns and at least one holding what appears to be a less-than-lethal weapon and Taser — and a police dog at the door of the convenience store, which then possibly sent Hall running for the back of the business.
Moments before being shot, Hall can be seen shuffling back and forth between a coffee counter and a self-serve soda fountain, but it does not appear that he lunged at officers.
It wasn’t clear if any weapons were recovered following the shooting.
The incident was under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
“In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, review process and pending litigation, the Fontana Police Department will not provide any additional details at this time,” according to a statement released by the police department late Thursday morning.
“With this said, we can all recognize this was a tragic and unfortunate event for everyone involved,” the statement continued. “As such, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and anyone impacted by this incident. We have every confidence in the investigative process and await the conclusion.”
Hall’s family, represented by Mark Geragos’ law firm, filed a state civil rights and wrongful-death lawsuit last month against Fontana and its police department, according to court records. The firm released the surveillance video Wednesday.
The complaint filed in San Bernardino Superior Court alleges Fontana police knew Hall suffered from schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania. It also calls Hall a “peaceful person, who had previously been awarded for his community service.”
In 2010, Hall received a Citizen Citation from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for assisting in the rescue of a 4-year-old autistic child, records show.
According to police, the case is currently being reviewed by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.