Philadelphia police shot and killed Walter Wallace, a 27-year-old Black man, on Monday afternoon in front of his mother as neighbors watched (article available here). The killing sparked clashes between police and demonstrators Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday. The mayor and police commissioner promised a full investigation in a joint statement about the incident. Mayor Jim Kenney said he watched bystander video, which shows parts of the altercation. He called it a "tragic incident and it presents difficult questions that must be answered." A graphic video of the shooting has gone viral on social media.
The video shows a chaotic scene in the middle of the street as officers, with guns drawn, are seen retreating from Wallace. He approaches with an object in his hand as a crowd looks on. The video is shaky at times. At about 25 seconds into the video, it turns away as a series of gunshots ring out. The video swings back toward Wallace to show him limp in the middle of the street as his mother runs toward him, crying and screaming hysterically.
Bystanders scream after the shooting.
Walter Wallace Sr., the shooting victim’s father, said his son struggled with mental health issues and was on medication. “He has mental issues," Wallace said. "Why you have to gun him down?”
Wallace was recently married and expecting a baby.