WASHINGTON — The knife-wielding man who was shot and killed by police on Christmas Day had stabbed a person and was lighting paper towels on fire before officers arrived, according to a police report obtained by WTOP.
Gerald Hall, 29, of Northeast D.C., died Sunday after he was shot by police who responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 3200 block of Walnut Street Northeast.
The incident happened at around 11:30 a.m. A neighbor reported hearing screams coming from the home and called authorities, according to police records.
Police said in the report that Hall had gotten into an argument with a woman who claimed he had entered her residence without permission. She told police he had been in her home on Christmas Eve and had taken her keys without asking, according to the report.
During the fight, police said, Hall lit paper towels and turned on the gas stove, filling the kitchen with the scent of natural gas.
At one point, he pushed the woman out of the residence, grabbed a knife and stabbed her in the forearm during a scuffle to get back inside the home, police said in the report.
Police said Sunday that arriving officers ordered Hall to put down the knife several times. An officer shot him when he refused to obey the command.
Hall later died at the hospital, police said.
In an interview with NBC Washington, Hall’s mother Angela McCain disputed reports that her son was armed and accused police of using excessive force. Hall was the father of four children, the TV station reports.
Police said on Sunday that the knife was recovered at the scene.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave. That officer has not been publicly identified by D.C. police.
Police said body-worn camera footage would be reviewed as part of the investigation.
