Police shooting sparks protests
Officers injured, stores looted in Philadelphia
PHILADE LPHIA • Volatile protests erupted Monday night in Philadelphia after police fatally shot a 27- yearold Black man armed with a knife whose family said he was suffering a mental health crisis.
The Philadelphia Police Department said two officers fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. several times Monday afternoon after he refused to drop the knife as his mother followed closely behind, trying to restrain him. But Wallace’s family and local activists pointed to cellphone video of the shooting, asking why officers didn’t use less lethal weapons to try to subdue him.
“Why didn’t they use a Taser?” Walter Wallace Sr., his father, asked the Philadelphia Inquirer, noting that his son was on medication. “He has mental issues. Why you have to gun him down?”
In the hours after the shooting, about 300 protesters massed in the streets, facing down officers in riot gear who pushed them back with shields and batons.
As the night wore on, multiple businesses were looted, a police vehicle was set ablaze, and at least 12 officers were injured, including one who was hospitalized with a broken leg after being struck by a truck, WTXF reported early Tuesday.
Philadelphia officials have called for a full investigation of the shooting but also asked the public to remain patient as investigators determine whether the officers violated any policies or laws.
“My prayers are with the family and friends of Walter Wallace,” Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement Monday. “I have watched the video of this tragic incident and it presents difficult questions that must be answered.”
Police on Tuesday declined to answer several questions about the shooting, including what precipitated it and the identities of the officers involved.
The incident began about 4 p. m. on Monday when police responded to a report of a man with a knife, the Inquirer reported.
A video of the encounter taken by a bystander and posted on social media showed Wallace’s mother trying to restrain him, putting her body between the man and the two police officers. He pushed her away, and then turned to walk toward the police. The officers backed away but kept their guns pointed at Wallace.
“Put the knife down,” one of the officers shouted in the video.
The camera panned away from the scene as officers opened fire, shooting Wallace several times in front of multiple witnesses, including his mother. Wallace was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.