Body camera video of a deadly confrontation between D.C. police and a 29-year-old man shows a glimpse of the knife the man was holding.
Gerald Javon Hall, 29, of Northeast D.C., died Sunday, Dec. 25 after he was shot by police in the 3200 block of Walnut Street, NE.
Mayor Muriel Bowser's office on Wednesday released video from the body cameras worn by the officer who shot Hall and another officer on the scene.
The videos show a brief interaction between Hall and two officers in the doorway of a home.
The officer who shot Hall can be heard instructing Hall to put the knife down three times before he fires four shots. Hall was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries; he later died.
Bowser said she understands how someone viewing the video at regular speed might not see the weapon.
"I've seen it many times. I've seen it slowed. I've seen it frame by frame. But if you're seeing it quickly, you may not see the same thing you have seen after reviewing it many times," Bowser said.
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Police said Hall stabbed a woman inside the home on Walnut Street.
Hall was black. Police have not released the names of the officers involved in the shooting, but in the videos they appear to be black.
According to the police report, Hall turned on the gas on a stove and began lighting paper towels at the home before he was shot and killed by police.
Hall's mother, Angela McCain, said she believes police used excessive force on her son and they should not have shot him.
"He was inside of the house in the door and they was outside at the bottom of the steps. And so, they weren't threatened for their life. They were nowhere near threatened for their life," McCain told News4.
Hall was a father to four, ages 5, 7, 8 and 10.
Police said a weapon was recovered at the scene.
The officer who shot Hall is still on administrative leave as the U.S. Attorney's Office continues to investigate.
News4 has not posted the full body camera video because of its graphic content. You can find the full video on the Metropolitan Police Department's YouTube channel.
