A D.C. police officer will not face charges over the fatal shooting of a man suspected of holding a woman against her will.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal, criminal, civil rights or D.C. charges against the officer who shot and killed Vedo Hall, 26, in Southeast last May. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and D.C. police’s findings included interviews and reviews of evidence, communications, body camera footage, and medical and police reports.
Hall was suspected of holding an ex-girlfriend on May 24. Police went to an apartment on the 1200 block of Mississippi Avenue Southeast at 11 a.m. to check on the woman. Police said it was reported that Hall had a firearm.
They announced themselves as police when they knocked on the door, and Hall said, “I’m about to shoot,” a U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Columbia news release said.
The investigation said a woman was heard inside saying, “Please don’t,” and Hall opened the apartment door and repeated that he was about to shoot. Police saw that Hall had a rifle before he closed the door.
Members of D.C. police’s Emergency Response Team “breached the door” and entered. They found the apartment empty and a rear window open with the screen pushed out. Hall and the woman had fled.
Approximately at 3 p.m., two officers went to the 1300 block of Alabama Avenue Southeast, after the woman’s cellphone was tracked at that location.
An officer entered the gate and found Hall at the entrance into the breezeway. He was holding a large cardboard box in front of him with both hands, and standing next to him was the woman.
Hall backed away and drew a rifle from the box, as the woman screamed and ran away, the news release said.
The officer yelled for Hall to stop and, “Put it down,” but Hall took up a “shooting stance” and pointed his rifle at the officer, who fired two rounds from his gun and struck Hall in the face and the left leg. Hall died from the gunshot wound to his head.
Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to prove that police used excessive force.
