Graphic Video [HERE] 

From [HERE] and [HERE] Civil rights investigators for the Justice Department on Friday opened a federal probe into the controversial shooting death of a Saginaw, Michigan, homeless Black man whose family says he had a history of mental illness.

"I can confirm the Justice Department now has an open investigation into the Saginaw shooting," said Mitchell Rivard, spokesman for Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez of the Civil Rights Division. Prosecutors and state police have already begun an investigation into the shooting death of Milton Hill.

Hill had been had been arguing with officers in a parking lot next to a shuttered Chinese restaurant when he was shot in broad daylight, in full view of passing motorists and while he was holding some sort of knife. Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael Thomas said that the squad of police confronting him opened fire "because apparently, at this point in time, he was threatening to assault police." However, in the video Hall does not make any sudden movement toward police. Police had a police dog on a leash in front of Hall but apparently chose to use their guns instead. He was murdered. 

The July 1 shooting happened in a parking lot on West Genesee Avenue, a busy commercial strip on the north side of Saginaw. In a video purchased by CNN, shot by a motorist from across the street, the 49-year-old Hall is seen arguing with a half-dozen officers. 

On the video, he tells police, "My name is Milton Hall, I just called 911. My name is Milton, and I'm pissed off." When an officer tells him to put the knife down, he responds, "I ain't putting s--t down." Finally, he turns to the left of the frame. It's then that the police open fire with a reported 46 shots in a five-second hail of bullets.

Witnesses also contradict police accounts.

Mechelle Evans was at the Riverview Plaza on Sunday with her kids. Her son walked out a door before her and told her there were police outside. When she walked out, Evans said she saw several Saginaw Police officers and a man standing in front of them. "When I came out their guns were drawn. The dogs were out and the man was standing right by the wooded plant stand area in the front of the parking lot. "They were yelling 'get down, drop your weapon!' There was so much commotion," she said. Evans froze. Her kids stood still. She said the man was frozen, too."The man was not moving. He was just standing there looking. I think he was scared of the dogs and the yelling," she said.  Evans said she didn't witness the man go after police. "They opened fire and unloaded on him," she said. "When they opened fire it sounded like a bomb went off. We ran back in the store and it had to be maybe 20 or 30 shots, well at least that is what it sounded like."

Destiny Williams was also in the shopping center and said she heard the gunshots, then saw "the man lying down." [MORE] and [MORE]