No charges filed against officers in fatal shooting of Walnut Creek man having mental health crisis
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office on Friday announced no charges will be filed against any officer involved in the 2019 fatal shooting of Miles Hall, a 23-year-old man who was in a mental health crisis near his home.
The District Attorney's Office concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge Officers KC Hsiao and Melissa Murphy for the shooting of Hall on June 2, 2019, after responding to a call from Hall's mother for help in handling a mental health-related episode.
The shooting prompted Walnut Creek to pay a $4 million settlement to the Hall family and establish a series of listening sessions to discuss policing and public safety, Walnut Creek's racial climate, and mental health issues.
Hall's mother reacted by saying, "For us, it's tragic there are no consequences for these officers but it's not surprising."
The family of Miles Hall and supporters gathered outside of Walnut Creek city hall after the DA's report came out exonerating the two Walnut Creek officers. Oscar Grant's mother and uncle also joined the crowd in a show of support.
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In 2019, one officer used a beanbag shotgun to subdue Hall who was armed with a garden tool. Then two officers fired their weapons killing him before a police mental health expert arrived in the quiet Walnut Creek neighborhood.
Scott Alonso, spokesperson for the Contra Costa DA's office said, "They had nonlethal options to use, they deployed that and ultimately they had to use lethal force because of the officers' self-defense and the danger to neighbors in the community."
Hall's family says they intend to escalate things by asking the state attorney general and the US attorney to review the case.
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Walnut Creek's mayor and city manager said a new regional mental health task force for non-enforcement responses is expected to be launched later in the summer.
Prosecutors have released a report on the shooting that can be found here.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
