Violent protests and widespread looting erupted for the second night in a row on Tuesday after officers in Philadelphia shot and killed a knife-wielding black man. More than 1,000 looters broke through businesses and damaged property on Tuesday night, according to Philadelphia Police Department.
The looting comes despite a call for peace from the father of Walter Wallace Jr., whose fatal shooting was caught on camera on Monday night. Random videos shot by bystanders show hundreds of people looting stores including a Foot locker and Aaron's store that sells furniture and electronics. Philadelphia Police Department said that it has already deployed more officers who were mobilizing in response to the unrest.
Night of Unrest
Officers have been struggling to pacify demonstrators, as hundreds have taken this opportunity to loot stores. Philadelphia Police Department tweeted: "A large crowd of appx 1000 is looting businesses," and advised residents to avoid the area. One of the videos shows looters lifting a Foot Locker store's metal gate for others to enter and leave, some with arms full of shoeboxes.
Another video shows a looter wheeling a large appliance out of a store. A similar video shows a set of looters vandalizing a store and then looting goods from inside and running randomly. Police urged residents in large swaths of the city to remain indoors amid the unrest.
"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's Office of Emergency Management tweeted at about 9.35 pm.
Anticipating further unrest, state and city officials had requested help from the Pennsylvania National Guard, which will be mobilizing several hundred members, according to spokesman Lt. Col. Keith Hickox.
Yet Another Black Man Killed
The widespread protests and random looting follow the shooting and killing of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. on Monday, which was captured on a cell phone video. Wallace's family said that he was having "mental issues" when police arrived for the third time in a day. According to police, Wallace was shot after he refused to drop a knife he was holding.
Demonstrators took to street wanting to know why a less-lethal force wasn't used to tackle Wallace since they knew he wasn't mentally stable. Police said that they weren't equipped with Tasers.
However, Wallace Sr. appealed to people to maintain peace. He told reporters outside his family home that looters were "showing disrespect," rather than helping his family. "Stop this violence and chaos," the elder Wallace said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "People have businesses. We all got to eat."
According to police 30 people were injured on Monday night during the protests. On Tuesday, over 500 people gathered at a West Philadelphia park and started a march chanting Wallace's name. There were reports of unrest and looting in other parts of the city as well.
At least 90 people have been charged in the violent protests so far, police said on Tuesday. That number could rise further as cases remain under investigation and unrest mounts, according to Philadelphia Police Department.
