PHILADELPHIA, PA – In riot-scarred Philadelphia, a looter called police to report that someone carjacked him and took all of the items he had stolen. Riots have been occurring in Philadelphia since the police-involved shooting death of a black man, Walter Wallace, Jr, who was charging at officers with a knife.
11 people shot while looting in Philadelphia so far since last night. “Looters were shooting looters.” “50 yr old man that had his car filled then was carjacked and had all his stolem stiff re-stolen from him”from @PhillyPolice on scene of looting tell FOX 29. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/FahA709kFN
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) October 28, 2020
Steve Keeley of Fox News tweeted:
“11 people shot while looting in Philadelphia so far since last night. Looters were shooting looters. 50 yr old man that had his car filled then was carjacked and had all his [stolen stuff] re-stolen from him.”
The riots have raged since the Oct. 26 Wallace shooting. As of Oct. 28, the city experienced 11 shootings during the chaos in the city.
Two of the 11 people shot in the city were teenagers. It remains unknown who may have fired the rounds. However, police have reported that many of the shootings involved looters shooting at each other in the Port Richmond neighborhood.
A three-year-old boy was also apparently a victim of a stray bullet from the riots. The grandmother of the toddler had the child transported to the hospital after hearing a loud “boom” and noting injuries to the boy’s hand and bicep. Philadelphia Police Officer Tanya Little said that it was not clear that the boy had been shot until they got to the hospital. Little said that the boy is listed in “critical but stable condition.”
According to Police, at least five people ranging in ages from 17 to 37 were fatally shot during the riots. In addition to those shot, police also report that at least two people had been stabbed. It is unclear if any arrests have been made.
In addition to looters getting injured, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw noted a number of officers that have been getting hurt. She also spoke about the weapons that officers are facing from angry rioters. She said:
“We’ve heard reports of officers saying they’re throwing Molotov cocktails, they’re bringing bricks in backpacks. We’re not talking about little rocks, stones and pebbles. These are folks intentional on bringing certain things to hurt us.”
In attempts to get the situation under control, the City of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management sent a warning to residents:
“The Philadelphia Police Department is requesting that all residents in the 12, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26th Districts remain indoors except when necessary. These areas are experiencing widespread demonstrations that have turned violent with looting.”
The city has also issued a city-wide curfew that will be in effect from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. In addition, democratic Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a proclamation of disaster for the city. He tweeted:
“Hundreds or gathered peacefully to speak out against social injustice. But their voices are being drowned out by others taking advantage of this time to sow mayhem. I signed this proclamation so commonwealth resources can be provided quickly to protect lives and property.”
Hundreds have gathered peacefully to speak out against social injustice. But their voices are being drowned out by others taking advantage of this time to sow mayhem.
I signed this proclamation so commonwealth resources can be provided quickly to protect lives and property. https://t.co/6nn7scX5ZC
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) October 28, 2020
Walter Wallace, Sr, the father of the man shot and killed by police, spoke out about the rioting and looting occurring in his city and demands that it be stopped. He said:
“I’m against this looting and tearing up the city. We need to come together instead of divide. We’re tearing up our own community, resources and will have nothing to go back to.”
Armed suspect who was shot by Philly police (sparking riots) had extensive history of violence, rapped about shooting cops
October 28, 2020
PHILADELPHIA, PA – We at Law Enforcement Today have reported extensively on the police-involved shooting of Walter Wallace Jr and the subsequent riots that have transpired since he was taken down by officers.
But new reports detail that aside from Wallace having posed an active, deadly threat when officers fired on him – it also turns out that Wallace has a history of being violent and threatening to kill people.
In other news…
Walter Wallace Jr., who was shot by Philadelphia police, had a criminal history, rapped about shooting copshttps://t.co/zidwJ3lPyY#WalterWallace #phillyriots
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) October 28, 2020
In recently uncovered documents related to the deceased 27-year-old Wallace’s criminal history, we’re now able to get a better understanding that Wallace had a pattern of violent behavior against others.
Apparently Wallace was an “aspiring rapper” that wrote songs related to such wonderful subjects as shooting people – including police officers.
Now, while music that glorifies or mentions violent acts doesn’t always translate to the artists committing violent acts, it’s certainly worthy of speculation when an artist is a violent individual that produces music that’s allegorical of their criminal and violent exploits.
Back in 2017, Wallace reportedly pleaded guilty to robbery, assault, and possessing an instrument of crime.
Walter Wallace Jr., the Philly man who pursued police w/a knife before being shot, was a rapper. The convicted felon was awaiting trial for threatening to shoot a woman & her house up. In 2017, he pled guilty to putting a gun to another woman’s head. #BLM https://t.co/flL5BBDmR0
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 28, 2020
In that case specifically, authorities say that Wallace kicked in a woman’s front door and placed a gun to her head. This may come as a shock, but Wallace was only sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison for that crime.
Keep in mind, Wallace could have been sentenced to up to five years for just the instrument of a crime charge.
And police had reportedly been called out to the home where Wallace stayed numerous times since May of this year – roughly 31 calls according to sources.
Not to mention, his own mother placed a protective order against Wallace in 2013 which he wound up violating when he “threw water in her face and punched her in the face” and “threatened to return and shoot” his own mother.
In 2019, Wallace was charged with resisting arrest when he was allegedly trying to kick out the windows and door panels of a police car. And just in March of this year, he was arrested for allegedly threatening the mother of his children over the phone saying:
“I’ll shoot you and that house up.”
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw recently commented on the case, noting that there’s questions on whether the responding officers knew who they were responding to when called to the address the day of the fatal shooting:
“There are several questions that need to be answered… including what the officers knew when they responded, what was put out by radio and how any previous contact with Mr. Wallace factored into [the October 26th shooting].”
Wallace’s cousin, Anthony Fitzhugh, is pointing to Wallace having “mental health issues” being one of the possible reasons he may have responded violently toward authorities prior to being shot:
“They were advised that he had mental health issues. I understand he had a knife, and their job is to protect and serve. By all means do so, but do not let lethal force be the means by which you de-escalate the situation. You could have still kept your gun drawn while another officer tased him.”
Except, the officers dispatched didn’t have tasers.
Apparently rioters think that cops need to be stabbed by criminals instead of taking down armed suspects before getting stabbed.
— Greg Hoyt (@GregHoytLET) October 28, 2020
Also, it seems that mental health is a common thing brought up whenever a suspect posing a lethal threat is taken down by police.
However, the internet personality known as “Donut Operator” (who is most known for examining police shootings footage) brought up a reasonable counter to the mentioning of mental health.
That being, does mental health of a violent subject make them more or less lethal in the moment:
“Nobody wants to get stabbed with a knife. Okay, people are really upset saying ‘well, he was mentally ill’. Does a mentally ill person having a knife make him less dangerous than…like…a person who is not mentally ill having a knife?”
It’s a rather reasonable speculation – the presence or lack thereof of mental illness within a violent subject does little to change the level of an existing threat of a deadly weapon.
Which you can also watch Donut Operator’s video analysis of the shooting below.
Furthermore, in regard to the mentioning by Commissioner Outlaw of what officers may have known prior to arriving at the address of the incident, it turns out officers were warned on police radio traffic of the following:
“Person screaming 6124 Locust. Report of a 27-year-old male assaulting an elderly female”
And then a second transmission came in on the radio just 40 seconds later that said:
“Tell the officers to use caution responding to this. This is an ongoing domestic issue going on up there.”
In short, we’re examining the police shooting of a known violent offender who police in the area were familiar with, responding officers were advised to use caution with the subject on police radio, and there’s also the fact that Wallace lunged at officers with a deadly weapon in his possession.
The fact that this case is drawing criticism from the community and also the copious amounts of riots inspired by it is the epitome off baffling.
Commissioner Outlaw commented on the ongoing riots and violence stemming from the case, saying that local community members have informed her that these rioters are not from the neighborhood where the incident took place:
“Speaking anecdotally – we tend not to like to speak anecdotally – but I will tell you the crowd that was out there on the scene, the residents from that neighborhood those, who witnessed the incident, those were the folks that I interacted with while there.”
“Those were not the same people that we later interacted with once I left that scene. It was a completely different group, and quite frankly, demographics that we saw there and I heard from the community some of the same frustrations expressed as well.”
The police shooting was Wallace is currently on ongoing investigation. Please follow Law Enforcement Today as we gather further insights into this developing story.
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