A video has surfaced showing a man robbing a Los Angeles restaurant with what turned out to be a fake gun. The robbery took place on the 1700 block of South Western Avenue, where 41-year-old Christopher Hall entered the business while several people were dining. He was scantily dressed and carried a bag. Upon reaching the cashier, Hall partially revealed a handgun from the bag, seemingly to make his intentions known.
The cashier appeared to respond calmly and walked through a rear door, possibly to retrieve money. Shortly after, Hall entered the restricted area, where a second staff member was also present. A violent scuffle broke out between him, the cashier, and the other staff member. During the altercation, Hall struck the cashier multiple times and pointed his weapon at both individuals. He eventually grabbed scattered cash from the floor and fled the scene.
The Los Angeles Police Department received a call about the incident around 3:20 a.m. on May 28. Witnesses and an LAPD air unit were able to direct officers to Hall, who had run from the restaurant to a nearby apartment complex. The police pursued Hall through a narrow pathway north of the building, and he still appeared to be holding a firearm.
Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, Hall aimed the gun at the officer, prompting the policeman to fire his service weapon. The bullet missed Hall, who quickly attempted to escape by climbing over a fence. However, an officer shortly after deployed a TASER, bringing him to the ground. Hall was taken into custody, and no officers were injured.
After the arrest, police discovered that the weapon was a black airsoft replica handgun. Following the incident, Hall was initially monitored by officials before he was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Reports say the cashier sustained minor injuries during the confrontation and also received on-site treatment from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
