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Image posted, REUTERS
The marches began peacefully on Tuesday, but by dusk they had turned into clashes and violence.
Philadelphia authorities imposed a curfew after protests and looting that took place after police killed a black man.
The family of the dead man, Walter Wallace, Jr., said he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of his shooting. But police said he was carrying a knife and refused to hand it over.
There were heavy clashes between protesters and police on Tuesday night, and shops were looted. Authorities say 30 of its members were injured during clashes Monday night.
The curfew went into effect in Philadelphia starting at 9:00 pm local time. And it deployed reinforcements from the National Guard and the Police.
Lawyer for the deceased’s family revealed that 27-year-old Wallace Junior had bipolar disorder and that his wife had informed the police of his health condition before he was shot.
And Philadelphia witnessed large protests earlier this year against police practices after the murder of black citizen George Floyd by police in Minnesota.
What happened on Tuesday?
The protest marches began peacefully on Tuesday, but in the evening the situation changed and the marches turned into clashes and violence. Police arrived at the scene of the clashes with riot gear to keep the protesters away from the shops.
The father of the dead, Wallace, called for an end to violence against black people and that their lives be taken care of
Stores closed early and barricades were built to prevent looting. Police and the city’s emergency management office said widespread looting was reported in several areas.
Police said they used pepper spray and batons against protesters who tried to attack their officers.
More than 300 people participated in Monday’s protests and 91 of them were arrested. Reports indicated that a police officer suffered a broken leg and other injuries after being hit by a van.
On Tuesday, 81 people were arrested and 53 of them charged with theft. Authorities said 23 policemen were injured in the nightly clashes.
Trump and Biden reaction
At a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday, President Donald Trump attempted to link the protesters to his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, without providing evidence of a link.
“Last night (Monday) pro-Biden radicals devastated Philadelphia,” Trump said.
He added that “30 police officers in Philadelphia were injured, some seriously. Biden supports the rioters and I support the heroes of law enforcement.”
White House press secretary Kylie McCannani said Wednesday that the riots were “the most recent result of the” Democrats’ war “on the police” and that “mob rule” cannot be tolerated.
In a joint statement Tuesday, Biden and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said: “We cannot in this country accept that a mental health crisis will end in death.” The statement also criticized the looting, calling it a crime.
“I think the right to protest is completely legitimate and completely reasonable. But there is no excuse for looting,” Biden told reporters Wednesday.
Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and a major state in next week’s presidential election.
Mayor Jim Kenny, a Democrat, said the video of the shooting raises “tough questions that need to be answered” and that he is seeking a “quick and transparent solution” to the problem.
The dead man’s wife told police about his mental illness before he was shot and killed
What do we know about the shooting?
Police said two of their officers dealt with a report about a man carrying a gun in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia on Monday.
Police officers say a man, later known as “Wallace,” was carrying a knife when two of his officers approached him, and instead of following orders to lay down a weapon, he “advanced on them.”
They added that the two policemen fired “several times”, wounding Wallace in the shoulder and chest, and a policeman took him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Images from social media show two police officers pointing their guns at Wallace as he walks towards them. The two policemen withdrew and told him to put down the knife. He then heard gunshots and Wallace was seen lying in the street.
Wallace’s father told the Philadelphia Inquirer that his son had mental health problems. “Why didn’t they use the stun gun?”
At Tuesday’s press conference, authorities said each policeman fired seven bullets. They indicated that the police officers did not have stun guns.
The Wallace family’s attorney, Shaka Johnson, said the call went to an ambulance, not the police, to help deal with Walter Wallace’s mental problems, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Wallace’s pregnant wife told police that her husband suffers from bipolar disorder and is in crisis.
Who is Walter Wallace?
Wallace was an ambitious rapper, who often touched on topics such as police violence, guns and racial injustice, according to family and neighbors, who described him as a “quiet family man.”
The Enquirer reported that he was the father of eight children, faced legal problems and had been in court since he was an adult. Before his death, he was awaiting trial, claiming he had made threats, but the verdict was repeatedly delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
He also pleaded guilty to the crime of robbery, assault and possession of a criminal tool in 2017 after he kicked a woman’s door and threatened her with a gun to the head, according to reports from ABC in Philadelphia. He was also sentenced to 11-23 months in prison, with a court request to monitor his mental health.
In 2013, he pleaded guilty to assault and resisting arrest after a police officer struck him in the face and a judge reportedly ordered that he undergo a psychological evaluation and treatment.
The family’s lawyer said after the shooting: “I know he was following a treatment regimen, and this indicates that he is under the care of the doctor.”
