Trial begins for man accused in 2019 shooting death of off-duty Pittsburgh police officer
The trial for the man accused of shooting and killing an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in 2019 began on Tuesday.
Two witnesses were called during day one of the trial, an officer on the scene and a woman who said she saw the shooting. Their testimonies comes nearly four years after the shooting death of Pittsburgh police Officer Calvin Hall.
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According to police, Hall was off-duty, attending a block party in Homewood on July 14, 2019. Court documents said the party had gotten rowdy, with people arguing in the street. At 1:35 a.m., a ShotSpotter alert was reported on Monticello Street.
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Pittsburgh Police Officer Phillip Szalla testified when he arrived on the scene, he saw two men in the street. One of those men was Officer Hall.
A woman testified she was at the block party and saw the shooting. She said when she arrived at the party, she saw a group of people arguing in the street.
She noticed a man pacing behind the group and then heard three shots ring out.
She later identified the shooter as Christian Bey, 34. She said his distinctive eyebrows are what stood out to her.
Last month, the district attorney took the death penalty off the table for Bey, but he still faces felony charges, including murder. Arguments will continue Wednesday at 9 a.m.
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