The situation calmed down in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney on Thursday, October 29, decided not to renew the curfew the day before, simply calling on residents to ” stay home “ following the violence that erupted after the death of a black man shot dead by police on Monday.
A few updates on this week’s events: There will not be a citywide curfew this evening, October 29, 2020; however, w… https://t.co/GQMP1vborJ
A curfew had been established from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, after two days of demonstrations and looting which had left dozens of lightly injured among the police.
The night was quieter, according to journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the spot. But stores were still damaged or looted. Police recorded 29 burglaries, four slightly injured officers and 11 damaged ATMs.
In total, since the start of these disturbances on Monday evening, 210 people have been arrested and 57 officers injured, including one seriously, according to a police spokesperson.
Images soon to be made public
The unrest began after a video was posted on social media showing the death of a 27-year-old man, Walter Wallace Junior, shot dead in the street by two police officers at West Philadephia. Police, responding to a call for family dispute, said they ordered the man to throw the knife he was armed with. She says Walter Wallace refused to comply with the officers’ orders.
But according to family attorney Shaka Johnson, the man suffered from bipolar disorder, and the call was for medical emergencies, not police. The lawyer also claimed that the police fired 14 bullets, when one would have been enough to remove any danger.
The two police officers, whose names have not been released, have been suspended. An investigation has been opened, by police and the local prosecutor, into which Philadelphia Police Chief Danielle Outlaw has promised “Total transparency”.
The mayor said Thursday “Hope to make public soon” the images filmed by the on-board police cameras, which should make it possible to better understand the circumstances of the shooting.
According to Mr Johnson, as quoted by local media, the footage, shown to the family on Thursday, shows a man presenting “Clearly mental disorders”. You would hear someone scream “He has mental problems”, before one of the police officers orders “Shoot him”.
A few days before the presidential election, the troubles in Philadelphia added to the tensions that reign in this key state. President Donald Trump on Wednesday cited the violence as an example of the inability of major Democratic cities to maintain order.
