An Asian-American teenager who was shot dead in what prosecutors previously described as a 'classic suicide by cop' last year had his hands up - one of them grasping a pellet gun - when troopers opened fire, newly released dashboard camera footage appears to show.
Christian Hall, a 19-year-old man of Chinese descent reportedly suffering from depression, was standing on a ledge of the southbound Route 33 overpass outside Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on December 30 when state troopers arrived in response to a report of a distraught man.
Hall was the one who summoned the authorities, telling a 911 operator that there was a 'possible suicider' on the bridge.
As seen in both the redacted version of the dashboard camera videos that were previously released by the authorities, and the unredacted version that was sent to NBC News and Spotlight PA this week by Hall's family, responding troopers initially tried to talk the man down from the overpass, but they backed away when they saw he was armed with a gun.
Christian Hall, a 19-year-old man of Chinese descent, was shot dead by Pennsylvania State Police troopers during a 90-minute standoff on an overpass in December 2020
Hall was armed with a gun, which turned out to be a realist pellet gun (pictured in his left hand)
An unredacted dashcam video released this week by Hall's family appears to show that Hall had his hands up when troopers opened fire, killing him
Hall collapsed in the middle of the bridge after being struck by three bullets fired from 70 feet away
Hall's adoptive parents, Fe and Gareth Hall, are in the process of filing a federal lawsuit against the troopers who used deadly force on the teen
As it was later determined, the realistic-looking black firearm that was in Hall's hands was a pellet gun.
The redacted version of the video showed Hall raising his hands in the air, with his left clutching the gun, when a trooper fired the first few shots that missed him and hit the overpass.
But the final moments were blurred, obscuring Hall when he was struck by gunfire and collapsed to the ground.
The full version of the video, which attorneys representing Hall's family have obtained from the authorities through a subpoena, appears to show that the 19-year-old had his hands raised above his head for 14 seconds during the final stage of the 90-minute standoff.
'If he doesn’t drop it just take him,' a voice is heard saying on the recording.
Hall's hands were still up when troopers opened fire on him. He was struck by three rounds and died of his injuries at a hospital.
The Pennsylvania State Police stated in its first press release addressing the fatal officer-involved shooting that after initially cooperating with the troopers and placing his gun on the ground, Hall later 'became uncooperative and retrieved the firearm and began walking towards the troopers.'
Hall (pictured as a child, left) was adopted as a baby from China. His short life was marked by mental illness and several longs stints at juvenile detention
State police claimed that the 19-year-old then pointed the gun in their direction, and they fired, but the newly released video raises questions about the agency's version of events.
In March of this year, the Monroe County district attorney’s office ruled that Hall's shooting was justified.
Michael Mancuso, first assistant district attorney in Monroe County, commended troopers for showing as much restraint as they did and characterized the fatal shooting as 'a classic "suicide by cop’ scenario."'
Hall told troopers that he had spent eight years in jail as a juvenile and had no intention of going back, according to Mancuso. Hall’s juvenile probation officer repeatedly tried Hall on his cellphone during the standoff, Mancuso said.
One of the troopers who communicated with Hall has a master’s degree in clinical health psychology and worked in
