SAGINAW, MI — The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is urging the Department of Justice to reconsider its decision to not prosecute Saginaw police officers involved in the shooting death of Milton Hall.

On Feb. 25, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the FBI announced in a joint decision that the Saginaw police officers who shot and killed Hall, a homeless Saginaw resident, during a confrontation in a shopping plaza parking lot would not face federal charges.

In a video from a camera mounted in a Saginaw Police car, officers approach Milton Hall with their weapons drawn. Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas showed the video during a press conference regarding the July 1, 2012 shooting of Milton Hall where he announced that he cleared Saginaw Police officers of criminal charges.

Federal officials said the “tragic event does not present sufficient evidence of willful misconduct to lead to a federal criminal prosecution of the police officers involved.”

In its memo to U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade, the ACLU on March 12 said it disagrees with the conclusion that there is insufficient proof of the officers’ willfulness.

The ACLU cites Supreme Court precedent indicating that an officer “recklessly disregarding” a person’s rights can meet the “willfulness” standard regardless of the officer’s frame of mind.

Hall died when police shot him during a standoff on July 1, 2012. Police were responding to reports that a man had stolen a cup of coffee from a convenience store and encountered Hall, who was armed with a knife and had a known history of mental illness.

Six officers shot at Hall 47 times; 11 bullets struck him. Several civilians witnessed the incident and recorded portions of it on their cellphones.

The ACLU, in a released statement, said video footage shows that all shots were fired within a matter of seconds, and even after Hall collapsed, police continued to fire.

The aftermath of the shooting sparked outrage among many citizens, caused Saginaw city leaders, the Saginaw Police Department and a citizens group to form a police advisory board.

The incident also garnered national attention bringing Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton to Saginaw to visit the site where Hall was killed.

After an investigation, Saginaw County's prosecutor did not seek state charges against the officers.

Milton Hall

ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Staff Attorney Mark P. Fancher said Hall’s death was an unreasonable use of force.

“The fact that six armed police officers fired 47 bullets at a mentally impaired homeless man who held only a small knife a significant distance away from the officers amounts to a reckless disregard of Milton Hall’s right to be free from an unreasonable use of force,” Fancher said.

“As a civilian, Mr. Hall had every right to expect that the police would protect his life, but instead, he was the target of what resembled in many ways a firing squad. Saginaw deserves justice not only for Milton Hall, but for the entire community that has been devastated by this inexplicable act of police violence.”

Hall's mother has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city and nine police officers in U.S. District Court in Bay City seeking "full and fair compensation" as well as punitive damages.

Bob Johnson is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-395-3295, by email at

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