Second Night of Protests, Arrests Hit Philadelphia After Fatal Police Shooting of Black Man

Police officers move in formation during a protest in response to the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Philadelphia. Police officers fatally shot the 27-year-old Black man during a confrontation Monday afternoon in West Philadelphia that quickly raised tensions in the neighborhood. Credit - Jessica Griffin-The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP

Protesting and unrest continued throughout Tuesday night in Philadelphia as demonstrators chanted and demanded justice for Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was shot and killed by police on Monday.

Over 1,000 people took to the streets of West Philadelphia during the second night of demonstrations and unrest. While some of the demonstrations were peaceful, there were numerous incidents of looting at local stores in the area.

Police engaged protesters with riot shields and batons, breaking up crowds and arresting many of the demonstrators who were allegedly throwing objects at the police.

In similar instances on Monday night, police cars and dumpsters were lit on fire. Some videos posted online show officers lined up with shields as objects are thrown at them. In one location, officers with shields and batons charged protesters to force them to disperse, the Associated Press reports.

More than 90 people were arrested during Monday night’s protests, NBC10 in Philadelphia reported, on charges including burglary and the assault of police officers.

There have also been reports of officers acting aggressively. One video in particular, reportedly shot on Tuesday night, shows a large number of officers breaking the window of a car before dragging out individuals from the driver’s and passenger’s seat and appearing to beat them.

The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) did not respond to TIME’s request for comment on the incident or what precipitated it.

Wallace’s father, Walter Wallace Sr., had earlier pleaded with the looters to stop.

“This is where we live, and it’s the only community resource we have,” Wallace Sr. said during an interview with CNN. “And if we take all the resource and burn it down, we don’t have anything,”

The PPD has launched an internal investigation after the death of Wallace Jr., 27, who was fatally shot by two PPD officers in a West Philadelphia neighborhood on Monday afternoon. The shooting, which was caught on video and shared widely on social media, and is the latest incident of police violence against Black civilians that is garnering widespread outrage.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, officers had responded on Monday afternoon to reports of a man with a knife. Video footage shows them engaging in a confrontation with Wallace as he walks into the street, asking him to drop a weapon (which is not seen on camera), while Wallace’s mother is seen and heard trying to de-escalate the situation.

As Wallace “advanced towards the officers,” they fired “several times,” according to a statement by the Philadelphia police department sent to TIME. A barrage of at least 7 shots is heard in the video as Wallace falls to the ground, along with cries of shock and dismay from those on the scene. (Wallace’s father told the Inquirer he believed his son had been shot as many as 10 times.)

The person filming the video yells, “Y’all ain’t have to give him that many shots.”

An attorney for the family, Shaka Johnson, told the AP that Wallace’s family had called 911 for an ambulance to request help with a mental health issue—not the police.

Johnson added that many police officers are not trained to deal with mental health matters.

“When you come to a scene where somebody is in a mental crisis, and the only tool you have to deal with it is a gun…where are the proper tools for the job?” Johnson said.

“My prayers are with the family and friends of Walter Wallace Jr.. I have watched the video of this tragic incident and it presents difficult questions that must be answered,” Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. “I spoke tonight with Mr. Wallace’s family, and will continue to reach out to hear their concerns first-hand, and to answer their questions to the extent that I am able.”

According to the police department’s statement, one of the officers later drove Wallace to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“I recognize that the video of the incident raises many questions. Residents have my assurance that those questions will be fully addressed by the investigation,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement. “While at the scene this evening, I heard and felt the anger of the community. Everyone involved will forever be impacted.”

John J. McNesby, the president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) said that the officers are being “vilified” for doing their job and trying to keep the community safe.

“We support and defend these officers as they too are traumatized by being involved in a fatal shooting. We ask the public for its patience as investigators work to gather all the facts of this tragic incident in West Philadelphia today,” McNesby said in a Monday statement.