#Philadelphia #BLM #WalterWallace #Justified
Rioting, vandalism and looting erupted in Philadelphia on Monday night hours after police fatally shot a 27-year-old black man armed with a knife during a domestic disturbance call.
Late into the night, growing anger boiled over into a violent riot near the Philadelphia Police 18th District building. Several officers were injured by bricks and other projectiles thrown at them by a crowd of demonstrators.
At least 30 officers have been hurt with 12 hospitalized including one female Philadelphia Police Sergeant, 56, who suffered a broken leg after being hit by a speeding pick-up truck that was videoed driving towards a line of officers close to the city center shortly before 1am, according to Philadelphia Police.
Local reports also suggest at least 30 people have been arrested.
Multiple instances of looting have also been reported across the city. Police said multiple stores were looted including several Rite Aid stores in West Philadelphia, clothing and shoe stores and one restaurant.
Multiple car fires were reported with at least one cop car set on fire amid the chaos, with police saying five police vehicles and one Fire Department vehicle were vandalised.
The unruly scenes were sparked by the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., a man said to suffer from mental illness who was killed by officers during a domestic call along the 6100 block of Locust Street, just before 4pm.
When cops arrived, they said they found Wallace holding a knife. Police said they repeatedly told Wallace to drop the blade but he failed to acquiesce.
Two officers then opened fire, striking the 27-year-old multiple times. Wallace was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The fatal confrontation was captured on video by a bystander, who later posted the clip to social media.
The video shows two officers pointing their guns at a man as he walks away from them in the street and ducks around a car.
The man then re-emerges in frame and is seen walking towards the officers with his arm outstretched.
The officers are seen backing away from him as he continues to advance towards them in the middle of the street, with their guns still drawn.
‘Put the knife down, put the knife down,’ one officer can be heard saying in the clip.
Both officers then open fire at Wallace, shooting at least 14 shots. Wallace then collapses in the street.
