Shocking video has captured an elderly West Virginia man targeted by a telephone scam pulling a gun on an innocent Uber driver before allegedly shooting her dead.
The newly released dashcam footage from 61-year-old driver Loletha Hall’s car shows 81-year-old William Brock, of South Charleston, approaching her with a gun about 11:20 a.m. March 25, WKEF reported.
When she tried to get in her vehicle and leave, Brock allegedly struggled with her and shot her dead.
Unbeknownst to Hall, the suspect was the victim of a phone scam in which his incarcerated relative threatened him and his family and demanded money, according to the news outlet.
The driver had also been contacted by the same person or an accomplice, instructing her through the Uber app to pick up a package for delivery from Brock’s home, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office told WKEF.
When she arrived, Brock allegedly demanded that the unarmed woman identify the person who contacted her and grabbed her phone as he refused to let her leave.
“Give me that phone!” he can be heard saying in the distressing video.
“Stop! Stop or I’ll call 911!” Hall yells back at Brock.
He then shot the woman three times before calling 911, officials said. Brock reportedly told the dispatcher that he shot someone who was trying to rob him.
First responders rushed Hall to Miami Valley Hospital, where she died during surgery, WKEF reported.
“Hall, suffering from medical conditions and unarmed, made no threats or assaults toward Mr. Brock, and made no demands, other than to ask about the package she was sent to retrieve through the Uber App,” the sheriff’s office spokesperson told WHIO in a statement.
“Due to there being no active threat presented by Ms. Hall at any time during the encounter, and Mr. Brock’s failure to contact authorities for assistance while brandishing a firearm, during which he fired at and struck Ms. Hall multiple times, he was arrested and charged with murder,” the rep added.
An Uber rep told the outlet: “There is no other way to describe this incident than a horrific tragedy.
“Our hearts continue to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve her sudden loss. We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to supporting their investigation,” the spokesperson added.
Brock, who suffered wounds to his head during the scuffle, is being held on a $200,000 bond after pleading not guilty last week in Clark County Municipal Court, Clevland.com reported.
The account that ordered the fateful Uber trip has been banned and the shooting remains under investigation, officials said.
