Who is Calvin Hall, the off-duty officer shot in Homewood?

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police said Officer Calvin Hall was at a house on Monticello Street visiting friends when he was shot several times early Sunday morning. He died at the hospital on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert was emotional when talking about the impact Hall had on his department and the community.

STORY: ‘He was a model officer’: Off-duty officer shot while visiting friends has died

"I can tell you he made a difference with us, he made a difference with the community and he made a difference in his life," Schubert said.

Schubert said there is strong enough evidence Hall was acting under the color of the law when he was shot.

"A true guardian. he loved this job, loved to be in the community," Schubert said.

Police said Hall was stationed in Northview Heights for the last two years.

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Northview Heights Tenant Council member Valerie Lauw said Hall developed a close relationship with many of the people living there.

"As soon as you say his name, a smile just comes to your face immediately," Lauw said.

To Lauw, Hall was different. She said she was with Hall on Friday for a community day.

"We were talking, we were smiling, we were laughing. So you can imagine the horror that hit me when I found out and saw his photo just yesterday," she said.

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Police said Hall was assigned to Northview Heights because of his positive attitude and ability to relate to people.

"Anybody who has ever met Officer Hall is touched. Not just because he's an officer, but because he's a human being who loves people. He loves this city," Lauw said.

"He was only there to help people and save lives. Now he’s gone," said Brenda Jones, the vice president of Northview Heights Citizen Council.

Jones and the rest of her community are trying to comprehend Hall's death and realizing that they won't see him in the neighborhood anymore.

"He talked to a lot of kids and they asked him how to be a police officer and they said when they grow up, that’s what they want to be," Jones said.

"Anyone in need of help, he would be right there to help them, and that’s what I’m going to miss," Jones said.

Jeffrey Besong, Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police for Point Park University, said the following of Hall:

"Calvin Hall made his mark as an exceptional police officer in his two years with the Point Park University Police Department. I hired him with the hope that he would be part of the Point Park family for years to come, but the Pittsburgh Police came calling, as they saw the same things in him that I did. There is no shortage of people who loved Calvin, and we join them in mourning this terrible loss. Our hearts are with his family, and his brothers and sisters with the Pittsburgh Police. This city has lost a great servant and ambassador."

Cox Media Group