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Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old African-American man, was shot by police at 4 p.m. Monday in Philadelphia.
Walace Jr. was reportedly armed with a knife and shot several times by officers. He died moments later at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
The events provoked protests and violent confrontations. These events were partially captured in a passerby video where Wallace can be seen walking amidst the screams of the local people; two policemen pointed their guns at him.
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Police spokesman Eric Gripp said the cops had ordered Wallace to drop the knife and that he "advanced toward the officers." According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gripp said researchers are reviewing images of what happened. Both agents were wearing body cameras. The officers were those who took Walter Wallace Jr. to the medical center where he died.
The same media reported that Walter Wallace Jr.'s father said his son was taking medication for mental health issues. "Why didn't they use a Taser?" he said.
#US/(Graphic): Man with a knife shot 10+ times by police in Philadelphia. A video shows he was at least 10 ft away from the officers when they began shooting as his mother begged them not to shoot. No attempt to de-escalate seen. Protests have broken out. pic.twitter.com/ZLeLpu5bC2
— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) October 27, 2020
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the shooting raised "difficult questions that must be answered," according to the New York Times. The incident raised tensions in the area and sparked a standoff with police that lasted into the wee hours of the night and extended into Tuesday morning's early hours.
Sputnik reports that at least 30 police officers were injured in events related to the city's riots following the shooting.
For several months now, protests against systemic racism and police brutality have intensified in the United States, particularly since the May 25 murder of African-American George Floyd by the police.
Demonstrations have also been violently suppressed in several cities, and new acts of violence by the police have occurred.
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