On September 13, police officer Sherry Hall of Jackson, Georgia called on police radio to report that she had been shot by a Black man. According to reports from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Hall said the altercation occurred after she stopped a 6-foot, 230-pound Black man who wore a green shirt and black jogging pants.
At some point, Hall said the Black man shot her in the chest, but she was saved by her bulletproof vest. Moments after the shooting, she said the suspect fled the scene and police began searching for a Black man who fit the description in the small Georgia town. The search for the Black suspect continued for 10 days; however, a suspect did not exist.
Hall’s story soon fell apart after she was questioned by investigators at the Georgia Bureau of Investigators. After initially telling investigators that dash cam and audio in her patrol car was not working, it was discovered that the devices were working.
According to the GBI, Hall fired two shots into a wooded area with her department-issued handgun and she used another handgun to shoot herself. During a search of her home, investigators found the second handgun that she used in the shooting.
Hall’s fabricated story could have caused a racial divide and led to the arrest of an innocent Black male. The incident comes during a week where police across the nation have created tension due to violence against Black people. The shootings of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Smith have caused an uproar and provoked a call for a change when it comes to race relations and the police. Hall added to the distrust that many people in the community have when it comes to police.
Hall has been charged with four felonies, which include giving false statements and evidence tampering.
