Rev. Al SharptonSAGINAW, MI (WNEM) -
The Rev. Al Sharpton visited Saginaw on Saturday afternoon to attend a rally calling for justice in the Milton Hall shooting incident.
The civil rights activist tried to light a fire under the investigation into the deadly police shooting of Milton Hall Junior.
It's been nearly 10 weeks since Saginaw Police shot and killed Hall in the Riverview Plaza shopping center parking lot. Six police officers fired 46 rounds at Hall, who they said was holding a knife and was not obeying their orders to submit to arrest. The investigation is still ongoing.
Sharpton spoke in Borchard Park around 4:15 p.m., located at the corner of Court and Michigan on Saginaw's Westside. TV5 reporters in the field said hundreds of people were on hand to hear Sharpton speak. Activists speaking to the crowd reinforced the purpose of the rally – to bring justice to those responsible for Hall's shooting death and that their gathering Saturday was meant for peaceful purposes.
Speakers also touched on the street violence troubling Saginaw this year. So far in 2012, 19 people have been shot and killed -- including 2 children. One speaker had an emotional plea to men in the crowd to "man up" and be responsible for their lives and their families.
Some of the speakers delved into politics, citing the 2012 presidential election and vaguely touching on the policies of both candidates running.
TV5 has video of the Hall shooting -- click on the sidebar to the left to view it (WARNING, the video is graphic and may upset some viewers.)
WNEM TV5 had two reporters at the rally and we'll have a full report coming up tonight on TV5 News at 6 p.m.
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