BY Joseph Wilkinson
New York Daily News
PHILADELPHIA — Protests continued in Philadelphia throughout Tuesday, one day after two police officers fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was carrying a knife.
Demonstrations during the afternoon were largely peaceful, but at night dozens of people were seen leaving damaged stores carrying items, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Wallace’s father, Walter Wallace Sr., denounced any looting.
“They’re not helping my family, they’re showing disrespect,” Wallace Sr. told the Inquirer and assembled media. “Stop this violence and chaos.”
Philadelphia police said a large crowd was looting several stores in north Philadelphia, and the city’s emergency management office warned people in several neighborhoods to stay inside.
Police were also filmed brawling with several demonstrators. Some protesters threw rocks at officers, who responded with pepper spray, the Inquirer reported.
The Pennsylvania National Guard was deployed to the city to protect businesses, according to local NBC affiliate WCAU. The Guard will also help local police with crowd control.
“I do not want to see my city tore down. We don’t need that,” Rodney Everett, Wallace Jr.'s uncle, told local CBS affiliate KYW. “Don’t do this in the name of my nephew because this is not what he would’ve wanted.”
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Two officers fatally shot Wallace Jr., 27, on Monday afternoon. He was walking around a residential street carrying a knife; he was moving toward the two cops when they killed him. The shooting was captured on video, leading to outrage throughout Philadelphia and on social media.
Monday night’s protests were wracked by violence, with police saying at least 30 cops were injured.
Wallace Jr.'s family told the Inquirer that he dealt with mental health issues and that they had called an ambulance. Instead, police arrived.
“To think about calling for assistance and winding up with the people you called for assistance killing you...” the family’s attorney Shaka Johnson told the Inquirer.
Police said they responded to a call about a man with a knife, CNN reported. The local police union president released a statement defending the cops.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said the officers did not have Tasers or other stun guns, according to WCAU. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office is investigating the shooting.
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