Andrew Hall is a Danville Police Officer and former Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputy who has been charged in the 2018 shooting death of Laudemer Arboleda. Hall is also facing a civil lawsuit in the shooting death of Tyrell Wilson last month, officials said.
Hall is charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault in the death of Arbodela, according to ABC 7 News. The news outlet reported that Hall fired nine shots at Arboleda as the 33-year-old Newark man drove passed the officer. At the time, Hall was a sheriff’s deputy assigned to the Danville area. Arboleda was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. If convicted in the slaying, Hall could face up to 22 years in prison and be prevented from future work in law enforcement, ABC 7 reported.
He is on administrative leave in the death of Wilson. The Contra County Sheriff’s Office released bodycam footage in Wilson’s death, which you can watch here or later in this post. Be forewarned that it is extremely graphic. Hall has not been charged in Wilson’s death, and the shooting remains under investigation.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. An Internal Investigation Into Arboleda’s Death Found Hall Was Not at Fault in the Shooting
BREAKING: @DanvilleINFO Ofc. Andrew Hall, part of @CoCoSheriff, is being charged w/voluntary manslaughter & assault in deadly 2018 shooting death of Laudemer Arboleda at end of chase, per @ContraCostaDA. Same officer shot & killed Tyrell Wilson last month. 4,5,6,7 p.m. @KTVU
Law enforcement conducted an internal investigation into the shooting death of Arboleda, and determined the officer was not at fault in the shooting, according to NBC Bay Area. The news outlet reported Arboleda was attempting to drive his vehicle between two police vehicles when Hall shot him nine times during a “slow-speed police chase.”
Hall was permitted to return to duty following the internal investigation by the sheriff’s office. That investigation determined Arboleda was attempting to run over Hall, according to KTVU.
Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton announced the charges against Hall in a press conference Wednesday, April 21, 2021, following a two-year investigation. Both charges Hall faces are felonies. NBC reported more pressure was placed on Becton’s office to take action in the case after Hall fatally shot Wilson March 11.
2. Wilson Was Shot During March 11, 2021 & the Contra County Sheriff’s Office Released Videos of the Shooting
Hall shot and killed 32-year-old Tyrell Wilson during a confrontation at the southwest corner of the Sycamore Valley Road overpass of Interstate Highway 680, according to NBC Bay Area.
The Contra County Sheriff’s Office released four videos of the shooting. One video was taken by Hall’s bodycam, another was taken from a bystander’s vehicle, and the two other videos were taken by stationary city surveillance cameras.
Deputies were dispatched to the area after receiving a 911 call for someone throwing rocks from the overpass onto Interstate 680. The sheriff’s office said Hall made contact with Wilson, who matched the description the 911 caller gave of the person throwing rocks.
The city of Danville released a statement at the time of the shooting, expressing sorrow for everyone involved.
“On March 11, 2021, we experienced a tragic incident in our town. Our thoughts are with the families of Tyrell Wilson, Officer Andrew Hall, and anyone who may have witnessed the incident,” the statement said.
3. Hall’s Bodycam Video Shows Wilson Holding a Knife & Saying ‘Kill Me’
The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office has released new video footage showing a Danville police officer fatally shooting an unhoused Black man.
Warning: This video will distress many viewers, but we believe it is in the public interest to publish the video.
Only 30 seconds passed in Hall’s contact with Wilson before the officer shot the man.
The video shows Wilson walking through the intersection and Hall telling Wilson to stop and talk to him. Wilson says “no” before stopping and asking Hall who he is. Wilson tells Hall not to touch him, and the officer shouts at him twice to “drop the knife” while drawing his gun and pointing it at Hall.
“Kill me,” Wilson says before Hall fires the gun, and Wilson drops to the pavement.
With a shaky voice, Hall says “shots fired” on his radio. Early in the encounter, he had called for backup.
“Suspect down,” Hall says, and calls for medical aid for Wilson.
“Why’d you shoot him, man?” a bystander shouts in the background. “Hey! Why’d you shoot him?”
Hall can be heard breathing heavily in the video.
4. The Contra County Sheriff’s Office Is Continuing Their Investigation Into the Shooting But Said Wilson Was a Threat to the Community
#BREAKING: Contra Costa DA will announce charges against Sheriff’s Dep. Andrew Hall in the 2018 on-duty killing of Laudemer Arboleda:
The Contra County Sheriff’s Office and Contra County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting of Wilson, but said in a statement that Wilson was a threat to the community. The investigation is part of the sheriff’s office standard protocol in an officer-involved, fatal shooting.
“The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff continue to investigate this incident pursuant to the countywide law enforcement involved fatal incident protocol,” a statement said. “The Sheriff’s Office is committed to a thorough investigation, transparency of all the facts, and is releasing these videos to provide the public with facts, evidence and information surrounding this incident.”
The video was released, the office said, so that the community could know the truth. Wilson was holding a knife and throwing rocks at vehicles, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Any loss of life is tragic, but the community can now see the truth,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston in a statement. “Tyrell Wilson did in fact threaten the lives of passing motorists by throwing objects, possibly rocks, from the overpass down onto Highway 680. He was found with numerous rocks in his jacket pocket. He did pull a knife on Officer Hall. He did threaten Officer Hall. And he did start advancing toward Officer Hall in the middle of a major intersection. Officers are forced to make split second decisions to protect themselves and the public and that’s what happened here.”
5. Becton Said Arboleda’s Death Emphasizes the Need for Police to Better Understand Mental Health Issues
In 2018, Danville police officer Andrew Hall shot and killed Laudemer Arboleda. In March, he shot and killed Tyrell Wilson.
Yet, 2½ years later, the former case is still pending:
It took two years to for the district attorney’s office to file charges against Hall, which Becton said in a press conference was due to a “backlog of prior law enforcement involved fatal incidents my office is investigating.” She said the shooting emphasizes the need for law enforcement to better understand mental health issues.
“The unnecessary death of Mr. Arboleda underscores the need for law enforcement personnel to better understand those who are suffering from mental illness,” Becton said.
Arboleda had been assigned to work in Danville for five years when he shot Arboleda.
Arboleda’s neighbors told KTVU at the time that he was “quiet” and “antisocial.” They expressed concerns about the man’s behavior, but said they wished he had gotten help.
“Every single neighbor you talked to was scared, thinking things kept escalating with him,” said Dominguez. “That’s the last thing I want is for a death to happen. I would have preferred for him to get some help. Then everything would be okay.”
Neighbors had called police to the apartment complex eight times for Arboleda’s “strange behavior,” but told reporters he had never been violent.
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