Philadelphia Rocked by Fresh Unrest After Police Shooting

Citizens of the United States of American started a protest. They marched through the city of Philadelphia, America, demanding justice for a black man named Walter Wallace Jr. shot by the police.

The family of Walter Wallace Jr. said he was suffering from a mental health crisis when officers opened fire on him. 

According to the Lawyer representing his family, Mr. Wallace, who is 27 years old, had bipolar disorder. His wife told the officers about her husband’s ailment before the police officers opened fire on him. The victim was an aspiring rapper and raps about gun and police violence in his music records.

Although he was referred to as a quiet family man by his neighbors and relatives, but An Inquirer reported he was a father of eight who had been in and out of court throughout his adult life. He was awaiting trial for allegedly making threats, but this had been delayed repeatedly because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In their words, the police officers said they shot Mr. Wallace because he would not drop the knife he was holding in his hands.

According to the police report, two officers responded to an emergency of a man named Mr. Wallace with a weapon in West Philadelphia. When the officers approached him and asked him to follow orders to drop the weapon, he restricted the order and advanced towards attacking them.

According to Police spokeswoman Tanya Little, both officers fired several times at Mr. Wallace, and one of the officers later drove him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The protests began peacefully on Tuesday but became violent in the evening. More than 300 people went to protest, and 91 were arrested. One officer was in the hospital with a broken leg and other injuries after being struck by a pickup truck.

President Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, attempting to tie the violent protesters to his democratic rival, Joe Biden.

“Last night [Monday] Philadelphia was torn up by Biden-supporting radicals,” Mr. Trump said. “Thirty police officers, Philadelphia police officers, they were injured, some badly. Biden stands with the rioters, and I stand with the heroes of law enforcement.”

In a joint statement, Joe Biden said: “We cannot accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death.”

“It makes the shock and grief and violence of yesterday’s shooting that much more painful, especially for a community that has already endured so much trauma,” Mr. Biden added while condemning Monday’s looting, calling it a crime.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said she had visited the scene and felt the “anger of the community.” “We anticipate the chance of additional incidents of civil unrest,” she said, vowing to take “additional steps to ensure order.”