Shocking footage shows police shooting dead mentally ill man
A shocking video has been released by the devastated family of a mentally ill man who was fatally shot by a police officer who are calling for an independent investigation.
Lavall Hall was reportedly holding a broomstick when Miami Gardens officer Eddo Trimino is seen on the dash cam footage telling him to “get on the f-----g ground or you’re dead” before a round of five shots are fired.
The Miami Herald reports that authorities say Mr Hall was swinging a metal broom handle and the officer feared for his life.
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The mother of Mr Hall’s eight-year-old daughter says the police officer used excessive force.
Melissa Edwards told the newspaper: “I was outraged, furious, devastated and very emotional. They killed him, murdered him.”
he footage was released just one day after a South Carolina police officer was charged with murder after allegedly shooting an unarmed black man in the back after a traffic stop.
Mr Hall’s family and their attorneys reportedly believe Mr Hall’s shooting was less about race and more about police not dealing well with the mentally ill.
Eric Pettus, an executive board member for the NAACP in Miami-Dade, has called for more crisis response training for police officers, reports the Miami Herald.
He told the publication: “After seeing the video it’s clear to me that the incident was avoidable.
“This was a call that was a mental health issue.”
