Mistrial declared in case of man charged with killing off-duty Pittsburgh police officer

The question was benign: How did you know the defendant?

But the answer from a witness — that she met Christian Bey when he moved in across the street after his release from prison — was enough to cause a mistrial.

Bey, 34, was on trial in connection with the shooting death of off-duty Pittsburgh police Officer Calvin Hall in July 2019.

Hall, 36, was shot on Monticello Street on July 14, 2019, following an argument with a group of people who lived there. Police said Hall had walked away when Bey, whose mother was among the people fighting with Hall, shot him three times in the back.

Hall died three days later.

Now, a new jury must be selected along with a new trial. The parties will start picking a new jury in the case on Thursday, with opening statements slated to start March 21.

After Bey was charged with homicide, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office announced that it would seek the death penalty against him. However, just last month, the prosecution withdrew notice of capital punishment.

Jury selection took just a day and a half, with testimony starting on Tuesday before Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski.

On Wednesday morning, Dawn Coates, who lived on Monticello Street and was a witness that night, was called to testify.

Coates said she knew Hall since he was a teen and that he would visit often. He was a distant cousin of her husband.

Related

• Trial begins in shooting death of off-duty Pittsburgh Police officer Calvin Hall
• DA's office withdraws notice to seek death penalty in 2019 officer slaying
• Man charged in fatal shooting of Pittsburgh officer Calvin Hall

On July 13, 2019, Coates said that her friends across the street had a block party. Hall, who was off duty, stopped by her house at least twice to hang out.

At one point in the evening, she said, he left because the women across the street were fighting.

“I told Calvin [to leave] because even when you’re off duty, you’re on duty,” Coates said. “He’s a cop. He didn’t need to be a witness to what was going on over there.”

Hall returned, and when he went to leave again, one of the women from across the street was sitting in the middle of the road, Coates said. Hall and his friends approached her to get the woman to move, and Bey went over, as well.

It was then that Deputy District Attorney Stephie Ramaley asked Coates how she knew Bey.

Coates responded that she met him when he moved in across the street after he got out of prison.

Immediately, defense attorneys asked to approach the judge. He then cleared the courtroom so that they could speak to their client.

Most of the time, in a criminal case, a defendant’s arrest history is not discussed in front of the jury so as not to prejudice them. And if it is improperly revealed, the result can be a curative instruction to the jurors or a mistrial.

After several minutes, court reconvened without the jury.

Defense attorney Elbert Gray said his client was requesting a mistrial.

The prosecution did not object given the circumstances.

Deputy District Attorney Stephie Ramaley said she thought the question she asked Coates was neutral.

Sasinoski agreed.

“It was an unsolicited response that was made,” the judge said. “There was nothing nefarious about it.”

Defense attorney Carmen Robinson said she did not think it was intentional, noting that Ramaley had previously instructed all of her witnesses to avoid talking about Bey’s past.

“It was an unresponsive answer,” Robinson said. “We believe no curative instruction could remedy the situation.”

The defense and judge then asked Bey a series of questions to ensure he was making the decision knowingly.

“Is it your decision … to ask this court for a mistrial?” Sasinoski asked.

“Yes,” Bey said.

The judge then brought the jurors back to the courtroom and explained to them that he’d declared a mistrial.

He then ordered the deputies to handcuff and shackle Bey and had him returned to Allegheny County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest.

None of the jurors commented.