OFFICER CALVIN HALL
Even when Pittsburgh Police Officer Calvin Hall was off-duty, he was on duty.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, July 14, he was visiting his cousin Darnell Coates at his Monticello Street house in Homewood but left because a party across the street had gotten rowdy. Shortly thereafter, Coates reported that someone had threatened him and his wife, Dawn Royster, with a gun. Officer Hall returned to find Royster arguing with neighbors in the street. He tried to intervene, but the argument escalated. Coates managed to get his wife and Officer Hall to walk away.
As they did, someone shot Officer Hall in the back three times. He clung to life for three days before succumbing to his injuries on Wednesday, July 17. He was 36.
“We were trying to walk away, and boom, boom, boom, boom, and Calvin falls,” Coates told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It just weighs heavy on me because he came back to make sure I was alright.”
Officer Hall’s death weighed heavily on many people. Speaking at an impromptu press conference at UPMC Presbyterian immediately after Officer Hall died, his voice cracking with emotion, Pittsburgh Chief of Police Scott Schubert said he was a model officer.
“Officer Hall, Calvin, got into this profession, got onto the Pittsburgh Police to make a difference. And I can tell you he made a difference with us. He made a difference with the community, and he made a difference in his life.”
Zone 1 Cmdr. Chris Ragland echoed Chief Schubert, saying that when he asked Officer Hall why he wanted to be a police officer, he instantly said, “to make a difference in my community.”
And when he thought he could do so at the Northview Heights Public Safety Center, he asked to be assigned there.
“He requested to be part of the Northview Heights police officer unit. So we gave him the tryout, and not only did he do well—he thrived,” Cmdr. Ragland said. “And he’ll be sorely missed by his fellow officers and the people in that community. He definitely made a difference.”
Before Officer Hall joined the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police two years ago, he was a patrol officer in Braddock. Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman, who was the mayor of Braddock at the time, said in a statement that Officer Hall epitomized service.
“It’s heartbreaking and I want everyone to know that he served our community with the utmost integrity, professionalism and empathy,” said Fetterman. “He was a supreme credit to our force, as I’m sure he was to the City of Pittsburgh. It’s my understanding that he was shot while trying to break up a fight. That is wholly consistent with his character.”
In a July 17 statement, Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge #1 Vice President Patrick Knepp praised Officer Hall and vilified his killer.
“Calvin Hall died today due to the heinous act of a coward,” he said. “Brother Hall is remembered as a dedicated, professional, and congenial person dedicated to assisting the citizens of Pittsburgh. He was committed to his family and could be relied upon both personally and professionally because he went above and beyond to assist others. The FOP is here to assist Brother Hall’s family in any way possible…The Pittsburgh Police FOP asks for thoughts and prayers for Officer Hall’s family as they deal with their loss.”
The following day, the city’s Department of Public Safety released a statement from Officer Hall’s family thanking everyone for their support:
“We would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses, and staff at UPMC Presbyterian who were involved in Officer Hall’s care. You worked incredibly hard to try to save his life, and for that we will be forever grateful. We would like to thank all of Officer Hall’s extended family—the men and women in blue. Your support, love, and kind words will be imprinted on our hearts forever.
“To Mayor William Peduto, thank you for all of your love and support. To Police Chief Scott Schubert, the support you and your officers have shown to Officer Hall and our family was above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you. We also want to thank Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, Zone 1 Commander Christopher Ragland and Sgt. Joe Lewis, who was Officer Hall’s supervisor at Northview Heights, for your care and compassion. We will never forget all that you have done.
“We want to thank everyone at the Northview Heights Public Safety Center. Officer Hall was so proud to be a part of a unit that was truly making a difference in the community. He spoke of his fellow officers and the substation often. We will not forget you.
“To Officer Hall’s partner, Officer Reggie Eiland, there are no words that can adequately describe how grateful we are for the love, dedication and loyalty that you showed your fellow officer. You never left his side. You were there day and night, as were as so many other officers. We thank you, Officer Reggie, we thank you, Officer Joe Bucci, and we thank every other officer who showed their support, including the Chief of Police in Braddock, where Officer Hall worked before he came to Pittsburgh, who was there to support him and to offer his prayers.
“There are so many others we want to thank, including those whose names we never learned. If we have forgotten anyone, please forgive us. But know that your kindness and devotion did not go unrecognized. We thank you all for working around the clock to support Officer Hall and his family.”
Both Gov. Tom Wolf and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in Officer Hall’s memory.
Officer Hall’s public visitation was held Monday, July 22, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland. Just outside Soldiers and Sailors was Officer Hall’s patrol car, with a blue wreath on the front and a rose on the hood. It was where Officer Hall’s family would gather to speak with the media around 4:15 p.m., but prior to their appearance, Pittsburgh Police Commander Victor Joseph addressed the media, announcing that “we’ve charged Christian Bey in the murder of Officer Calvin Hall. The arresting detectives took great satisfaction in placing Calvin’s handcuffs on the actor.”
Commander Joseph continued: “Obviously this arrest will not bring Calvin back. But I hope it brings some peace to his family and friends.”
Moments later, Officer Hall’s family, in unison, appeared from the first row of seats inside Soldiers and Sailors to the outdoors, where the media was stationed. Eugenia Hall Miller, the sister of Officer Hall, spoke on the family’s behalf: “We are overjoyed that the suspect has been arrested and has been charged with the murder of my brother, Officer Calvin Hall. There are no amount of words that I can say to comfort my mother. Her heart has been ripped out of her, and I have to watch her suffer every day for the loss of her son. To the coward that shot my brother in the back, and killed him, may God have mercy on your soul.”
Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl
Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier
About Post Author
