Julia Crews, a St. Louis County policy officer, will not be facing criminal charges for shooting a Black woman after prosecutors chose to drop the charges.  

According to CNN, the victim asked for a restorative justice mediation that centers on mending the harm caused. Former Missouri police officer Julia Crews mistakenly shot her gun rather than using her taser to restrain Ashley Hall. Once the former officer was aware of the shooting, she instantly apologized. Crews resigned and said the shooting “all played a part in the push for mediation.” 

As a result of the shooting, Hall has lost a spleen and experiences distress from post-traumatic stress disorder. In spite of this, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell says both parties are open to resolving the matter without taking legal action. 

 “This was a unique opportunity where the defendant immediately realized she had made a terrible mistake in shooting the victim, and both the defendant and victim reached places where they could see a resolution for this incident outside of the criminal justice process,” said Bell said. “In this instance, justice is served by Restorative Justice, and this doesn’t happen without Ashley being 100% onboard.” 

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Hall has obtained a $2 million settlement and requested for a restorative justice program. The program is a “process in which the victim and the offender, and, where appropriate, any other individuals or community members affected by a crime, participate together actively in the resolution of matters arising from the crime, generally with the help of a facilitator,” according to a 2022 United Nations resolution.  

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.