Off- duty city officer shot in Homewood

Victim in critical condition, no arrests made in shooting that followed argument in street

A summertime block party in Homewood ended early Sunday with an off- duty Pittsburgh police officer shot multiple times in the street, leaving him in critical condition.

Calvin Hall, 36, a two- year veteran with the city police, was visiting friends in Homewood when an argument broke out in the 7300 block of Monticello Street, according to police.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at 1: 30 a. m. when they found Mr. Hall in the street with multiple gunshot wounds.

They delivered medical aid until medical personnel arrived and took him to a local hospital in critical condition.

No arrests have been made. A party or multiple parties were going on Saturday into early Sunday on the residential block between Sterrett and Collier streets with people both inside homes and out on the street, according to both police and neighbors.

“At some point, there was an argument or disagreement in the street,” according to a statement issued Sunday by the Department of Public Safety.

Police said several people who attended a party near the crime scene were detained for questioning, and a SWAT unit was called to the scene to search a house.

Police did not say whether Officer Hall was a guest at any of the parties.

He is assigned to the Northview Heights Public Safety Center.

“He was born and raised in the city of Pittsburgh and his ways of connecting to the community and to other officers was extremely beneficial for what we’re trying to do in Northview Heights,” Sgt. Joseph Lewis, who recruited Officer Hall, said in the Sunday news release. “He is always positive, always upbeat. I approached him and said, ‘ I want you up here because of your personality and the way you interact with the community.’ He’s always smiling, always positive.”

On Sunday morning, several residents sat on their porches after police and media left the

scene.

The only sounds came from the voices of a group of women on a front porch in the middle of the block. A grill sat in the front yard. They pointed to blood on the street.

One of the women, Stacey E. Gibson, who lives at the house with her partner and four other women said police came into their house and detained two of them for several hours and took some of their belongings.

“Now my wife is distraught,” Ms. Gibson said. “I ain’t never been detained in my life.”

She posted a flyer on her Facebook on July 8 advertising “a bachelorette block party” planned for Saturday.

It read: “Street will be blocked off. Please plan to remove all vehicles. All are welcome to attend. See you there!!!”

A man near the end of the block who identified himself only as Calvin said he has lived on Monticello Street for 15 years. He said he “heard five shots around 1: 30 a. m.”

“Otherwise, the neighborhood is usually [ quiet] like this,” he said.

Police request that anyone with information about the incident call police at 412- 323- 7800.