Tense, hours-long protests erupted in West Philadelphia after police fatally shot a man
The shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. has prompted heated demonstrations. On 52nd Street, a cop car and two dumpsters were set on fire, and police struggled to control the situation.
People gather in protest near 52nd and Spruce Streets in response to the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. on Monday, October 26, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pa. 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. Shortly before 4 p.m., two officers fired their guns at the man in the 6100 block of Locust Street. Police then transported the man to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Philadelphia police fatally shot a 27-year-old Black man armed with a knife on the 6100 block of Locust Street on Monday afternoon. Family members identified him as Walter Wallace Jr.
Family members and neighbors questioned the shooting, while city officials said an investigation was underway.
Wallace’s death prompted protests in West Philadelphia, with demonstrators gathering at Malcolm X Park and then marching to the police station at 55th and Pine Streets for an hours-long standoff.
Late Monday night into early Tuesday, hundreds of people were protesting in Philadelphia, with interactions between police and demonstrators turning heated and at times violent. A cop car and dumpsters were set on fire, and police struggled to contain the crowds.