Philadelphia police release bodycam video of fatal shooting

Video Credit: Reuters - Politics
Published on November 5, 2020 - Duration: 02:40s

Philadelphia police release bodycam video of fatal shooting

[NFA] Philadelphia officials on Wednesday urged calm as they released body camera footage from two police officers who shot and killed Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man armed with a knife and described by relatives as suffering from a mental breakdown.

Colette Luke has the latest.


Philadelphia police release bodycam video of fatal shooting

**EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES** Bodycam footage released by Philadelphia officials shows the moment when two police officers shoot and kill 27-year-old Walter Wallace, Jr., a black man armed with a knife who relatives say was suffering from a mental breakdown.

The graphic and chaotic footage - that was released on Wednesday by the Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office - shows one of the officers saying shoot him before they both fire at Wallace who was not heeding their orders.

(Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney): “I ask all of us to ensure this moment does not lead to further divisions in our communities” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, urged for calm on Wednesday after the city saw protests and looting following the October 26th shooting.

That prompted Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to order a 9 PM curfew which ended last weekend.

At Wednesday’s news conference, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the officers failed to properly respond to the 911 call requesting help with a domestic mental health crisis: “I don't think there is any dispute that in this particular situation, when a mother was trying to get help with a situation involving her son who is blameless for having mental illness, that when she did that government failed, because her son was killed within a minute of government's arrival.

As a part of the government, I apologize for that.

But last week, Wallace’s family lawyer Shaka Johnson said the officers involved should probably not be charged with murder as they lacked training and equipment to handle the situation.

“Those particular officers were only given a tool by which to assassinate, which is a service weapon chalked full of ammunition, but nothing in between, no taser, no less than lethal device that would’ve been so appropriate in this particular circumstance.” “It just gotta stop, it really gotta stop.” Wallace’s mother and her family last week said they would like to see all Philadelphia police officers equipped with tasers.

“I would like to see justice for what they did to my son… pray we can one day all come together and get along.” The investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have been filed against the officers.

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