The city of Ladue, St. Louis, has agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to a Black woman who was shot in the back by a police officer last year.
On April 23, 2019, Ladue Police Officer Julia Crews shot Ashley N. Hall, 33, suspected of shoplifting at the Ladue Crossing Schnucks.
In the confidential settlement agreement released Friday to the Post-Dispatch, the city “denies it is liable in any way” Hall and does not admit wrongdoing. The settlement also clears Crews and police Chief Ken Andreski and others from any liability — meaning they can never be br
ought to justice for the shooting.
According to Hall’s federal lawsuit, she was walking away from an altercation in a parking lot when Crews arrived.
Hall told Crews she’d been assaulted, and Crews called for an ambulance before trying to handcuff Hall — despite insisting that Hall was not under arrest. A fearful Hall then ran away in fear of “the history of unarmed black individuals being shot by white officers.”
Crews shot her in the back.
“She’s running away!” Crews yelled without giving warning.
“Did you shoot me?” Hall asked after being shot, and Crews replied, “Yes, and I’m sorry.”
Hall’s lawsuit states that she suffered injuries to her liver, spleen, diaphragm, lungs, ribs, and kidney and went into cardiac arrest for two minutes.
The Ladue police officer was charged with second-degree assault after shooting an alleged shoplifting suspect outside a Schnucks store. Crews claimed she had meant to use her Taser but drew her gun instead. She has since resigned.
