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STRONG PROTESTS: Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania on Wednesday night.
On Monday, Walter Wallace, 27, died after being shot by Philadelphia police. For the second consecutive night, looting and powerful demonstrations are reported in the city.
Just a week before Americans elect their next president, a new police shooting has brought to life the strong emotions, protests and riots that have ravaged the United States after the police assassination of George Floyd in May.
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It was Walter Wallace Jr., 27. who was shot in Philadelphia on Monday. The black man, who according to the family was struggling with mental problems, was newly married, expecting his eighth child and was shot in front of his own mother and brother, writes NBC.
STRONG EMOTIONS: A neighbor leaves a greeting outside Walter Wallace’s home in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Photo: Jose F. Moreno / The Philadelphia Inquirer
Police say they moved to the scene after a report of a screaming man waving a knife in the street. He was reportedly asked to throw the knife on several occasions, but according to them he continued walking towards them. He was then shot multiple times in the chest and shoulder by police, and the 27-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after, shortly after 4 p.m. local time.
Background: Anger after the police shooting in the USA
During a press conference Tuesday, Frank Vanore told police that the two officers involved fired about seven shots each. He did not say how many times Wallace was hit, writes ABC.
The shooting sparked heavy fighting in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon and overnight. Police report according to ABC that at least 30 policemen were injured and 91 people have been arrested.
According to NBC, several stores were looted and people are said to have thrown bricks at police officers in the streets.
THEFT: People leaving a phone store in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
– Frustrated and furious
From night to Wednesday, protests continue, with several hundred protesters marching according to the local Philadelphia Inquirer against one of the city’s police stations. The newspaper reports a broad mood, although the demonstrations are currently peaceful.
According to the newspaper, local stores closed their doors early Tuesday and several have nailed their windows.
– A large crowd of around 1000 people loot shops in the Castor and Aramingo area. Avoid the area, police wrote on Twitter Wednesday night.
According to CNN, peaceful demonstrations and looting are taking place in two different locations in the city. Police Chief Danielle Outlaw tells NBC Philadelphia that the same people are not behind it.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has called in the National Guard, and hundreds of members will be dispatched to Philadelphia over the next 24 hours.
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– I know that many in Philadelphia are frustrated and angry after yesterday’s tragic event. I support everyone’s right to protest. We also want to make sure our communities do not suffer further damage, Mayor Jim Kenney said during a church meeting Tuesday.
Bite against riots and looting
Walter Wallace’s family criticizes that the police could not calm the situation in any other way. Attorney Shaka Johnson told the AP news agency that the family had called an ambulance for help, not the police.
– We cannot accept that a mental health crisis ends with death in this country. That makes the shock, pain and violence that surrounded yesterday’s shooting even more painful, especially for a society that has already been through so many traumatic experiences, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says in a statement.
It also comes with strong criticism of the riots that followed the death.
– Attacking police officers and destroying businesses that are already fighting during a pandemic does not make the universe fairer. It hurts our fellow citizens. The looting is not a protest, it is a criminal act.
In June, the retired police officer became David Dorn. shot and killed during the riots in St. Louis. His widow spoke at the Republican National Convention:
– I’m not looking to catch anyone
US President Donald Trump held a voter rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday. He did not mention Wallace’s death, but said he will work to increase protection for police officers, including by introducing the death penalty for the murder of police officers.
– Biden has declared war on the police, he said, among other things.
Philadelphia State Attorney Larry Krasner promises that the police shooting will be reviewed and that his office will be impartial.
– We are not looking to cover anyone. We are not looking to catch anyone, he said at a news conference outside his office on Tuesday.
The prosecution is also investigating 27 cases of robbery after the protests, in addition to those it expects to investigate 11 cases of assault on police officers after the protests Tuesday night, writes the local Philadelphia Inquirer.
According to AP, the city’s police union says attacks on police officers during protests are unacceptable and asks for patience while the case is investigated. The police did their job, they add.
