Allegheny County

Retrial underway for man accused of killing off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in 2019

PITTSBURGH — A retrial is underway for the man accused of killing an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in 2019.

The trial is off to a bumpy start, as a key witness who testified and identified Christian Bey as the man responsible for shooting and killing Officer Calvin Hall just last week, is now nowhere to be found.

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Her testimony is critical for prosecutors looking to convict Bey, the man police said is responsible for Hall’s murder.

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According to police, Officer Hall was off-duty, attending a block party in Homewood.

Court documents stated the party had gotten rowdy, with people arguing in the street. At 1:35 a.m., a ShotSpotter alert was reported on Monticello Street. When officers arrived, they found Hall lying in the street. He died three days later.

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Last week, the missing witness put Bey at the center of the crime scene. She testified when she arrived at the party, it had already turned rowdy.

The witness said she noticed a man pacing behind the group, arguing in the street from her car window. She said that man was Bey, and before she knew it, shots rang out.

As she went to pull away, she said she saw Hall lying in the street.

With her skipping her court appearance Tuesday, prosecutors were forced to issue a warrant.

The hiccups don’t end there. Another one of the Commonwealth’s witnesses, James Blackmon, who has a history of not showing up, was released from court custody after prosecutors spent weeks tracking him down. The judge decided to release him with stipulations. He must check in daily until he is called to testify.

His testimony is key because he’s the man Bey claims he was with during the time of the shooting.

After a no-show, Tuesday’s testimony included the first officer on the scene and the pathologist who provided the autopsy.

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