Remembering Miles Hall: Honoring His Life & Legacy with Compassion, Courage & Action
- Vivian McHenry
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Today marks another year since the tragic loss of Miles Hall, known to many people around the world as a young Black man whose life was taken far too soon on June 2, 2019, in Walnut Creek, California.
MORE THAN A HEADLINE
But for me, Miles was our dear friends’ only son. He was just 23 years young, not unlike my own children.
Miles was more than a headline or a hashtag. He was a loving son and grandson, a supportive big brother, a loyal friend, a kind neighbor—a vibrant, sweet soul navigating the world while living with a disability: mental illness.
A MEDICAL EMERGENCY NOT A CRIMINAL ONE
On that tragic June day, Miles was experiencing a mental health crisis. And while there remains a good deal of bias and ignorance around mental illness, the fact is a mental health crisis is a medical emergency, not a criminal one. Miles needed medical attention, so his family called 911, expecting support and compassion. Instead, a system that is designed for crime-fighting responded with escalation, weapons, and within minutes, lethal force, rather than discernment, compassion, or care.
NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT
Sadly, Miles’ death is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader, painful pattern in which people with disabilities—particularly people of color—are too often met with unchecked bias and police violence.
In the years since, Miles' family has channeled their unimaginable grief into powerful advocacy. Through The Miles Hall Foundation, they have worked tirelessly to ensure that no other family has to endure such a tragedy. The Miles Hall Foundation continues to push for systemic reforms, including mental health crisis response teams that prioritize de-escalation and community-based care.
988 SAVES LIVES
Now, when there is a mental health crisis, one can and should call 9-8-8 instead of 911 so the first responders include trained mental health personnel with the priority and focus of saving lives and upholding human and civil rights.
I often point out that if every other “developed” country around the world can manage not to kill their disabled citizens, so can we in the United States. All we need is the education, accountability, and the will. After all, mental illness is not unique to the U.S., but what is unique is the way in which we view and treat our historically marginalized communities, despite the vast resources the U.S. is blessed with.
THE DEADLY COST OF RACIAL INEQUITY IN POLICING
According to Statista, “the trend of fatal police shootings in the United States is increasing" with a total 1,173 civilians having been shot -- 248 of whom were Black -- as of December 2024. Additionally, the rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans was much higher than that for any other ethnicity, standing at 6.1 fatal shootings per million people per year between 2015 and 2024, despite Black people representing only 13% of the population.
THE WORK AHEAD
We still have a lot of work to do to heal from centuries of racial bias, inequity, and injustice, but as Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
So, on this solemn ANGELversary, we remember Miles not just for the circumstances of his death, but for the beauty and complexity of his life. We stand in solidarity with his family and community in mourning, in reflection, and in action towards a better future in which we can all live stigma-free and thrive equally and equitably in our communities.
We recommit to the work of reimagining and transforming the policing and healthcare systems that failed Miles. And we say his name with love, with purpose, and with resolve: Miles Hall! Miles Hall! Miles Hall!
May his memory be a blessing—and a call to action.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vivian McHenry is a member of FOSATH, an acronym for the Friends of Scott, Alexis, and Taun Hall. She is an ally and advocate for mental health and racial equity and justice for all historically marginalized communities.
In the days following Miles Hall’s tragic, unjust death Vivian became one of the founding members of Justice For Miles Hall, a grassroots organization that grew to over 500 members nationwide calling for transparent investigations, police accountability, and mental health-friendly communities in Walnut Creek, CA and beyond.
