MESA, AZ — A former Mesa police officer was indicted Monday on two counts of felony endangerment after he allegedly shot at a vehicle during a 2022 traffic stop.
Officials said that on July 2, 2022, then-Officer Kaylon Hall conducted a traffic stop near Country Club Drive and McKellips Road because a vehicle was swerving.
During the traffic stop, Hall allegedly attempted to remove the driver from the vehicle, but the driver hit the gas and drove off, according to a newly released police report.
Body cam video from a second officer on the scene showed Hall shooting twice at the fleeing vehicle. The driver was not injured, but a police incident report included photos depicting bullet holes in the back of the car.
ABC15 talked to Jeff Hynes, a professor at Glendale Community College and a retired Phoenix PD Commander, following the indictment.
He says what former officer Kaylon Hall did is inexcusable.
"You cannot fire your weapon at a vehicle as it's fleeing away from you for a minor traffic violation. You can't do it. There's no agency out there that would authorize that,” he told ABC15.
Hall claims, when the car took off, he feared for his life and that of the other officer, but the investigation determined by the time then-Officer Hall fired his first shot, the car was at least 25 feet away, with the distance increasing every moment.
"There's no justification for firing at a vehicle that's fleeing from you on such a minor traffic violation. There's just no excuse. This was not life and death. This was not a critical incident. This was a traffic stop. He emotionally got sucked in. Shame on him. We're trained not to. We're trained to stop," he told ABC15.
Hall resigned from the Mesa Police Department one month following the incident after an internal investigation found he violated several policies.
These policy violations include unnecessary use of force, a uniform violation, and failure to turn on his body camera.
"It's there, turn it on, your policy says to turn it on, but I'm here to tell you, that in practice. Officers sometimes forget to turn it on," said Hynes.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell issued a statement following the indictment:
“As County Attorney, I will hold those who break the law accountable. An individual’s profession does not impact decision making in my office when deciding if criminal charges are warranted. The community’s trust in our criminal justice system can only be achieved if those sworn to serve and protect are held accountable when criminal acts occur.”
