Off-Duty Pittsburgh Police Officer Recovering After Homewood Shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA)--Pittsburgh Police are actively trying to find the person responsible for shooting Pittsburgh police officer Calvin Hall while he was off-duty.
Calvin Hall, 36, remains in the hospital in critical condition. He's been on the Pittsburgh Police force for two years, assigned to the Northview Heights Public Safety Center. Before this, police say Hall worked for Braddock Police.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock, remembers Hall as a strong member of the police force.
"He just did a great job for us. It was understood he wanted to advance in his law enforcement career and he applied to the city and after he was selected, they made a great choice," said Fetterman.
Fetterman said Hall was on the Braddock police force part-time for about a year and a half. As for what happened Sunday, police said there was a party going on at Monticello Street in Homewood.
Police were called after a report of a man waving a gun, authorities said. The man, later identified as 44-year-old Douglas Watson Sr., fled on a motorcycle but was arrested by authorities.
That event led to the shooting of Hall. Police sources told KDKA's Andy Sheehan that the arrest provoked an argument between relatives of Hall and friends of Watson, who accused them of calling the police on Watson.
Hall tried to intercede in the argument, trying to calm things down.
Around 1:30 in the morning, shots were fired and that's when Hall — who was not armed — was shot three times in the back at close range. Hall's cousin Darnell Coates said he witnessed the whole thing.
KDKA's Andy Sheehan Reports:
"I'm trying to break it all up and once everybody started dispersing, cause I thought it was over with," said Coates. "I heard four gunshots. Pop, pop, pop, pop and he hit the ground."
Police said Hall was in Homewood visiting friends when the shooting happened. Public safety officials say Hall is known for his dedication to the community and outreach as well as his upbeat, positive attitude.
"He was a guy you wish you had 10 of," said Braddock Police Chief Guy Collins, who visited Hall on Monday at UPMC Presbyterian. "He had no issues, no problems. He did what he was supposed to do without questioning. Again, he was an overall great guy."
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