New Philadelphia riot after police killing

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Angry crowds took to the streets in West Philadelphia overnight after police shot and killed a man armed with a knife Monday, with some in the crowds throwing rocks and bricks at police and some looting or vandalizing businesses.

At least 30 police officers were hurt, police said. One was hospitalized, a 56-year-old sergeant who was struck by a pickup truck at 52nd and Walnut streets early Tuesday. Her leg was broken, among other injuries, police said.

Police cars and dumpsters were set on fire as police struggled to contain the crowds.

Police said five police vehicles and one fire department vehicle were vandalized.

The looting, vandalism and violence were initially concentrated in West Philadelphia's commercial corridors. But, unrest and looting was also reported in other parts of the city, including Center City and North Philly.

The looting picked up again before daybreak.

The protests, violence and looting occurred hours after 27-year-old Walter Wallace was shot and killed by two Philadelphia police officers in Cobbs Creek. Investigators said Wallace was armed with a knife when he approached the officers and ignored them when they told him to drop the weapon.

Video from a witness showed Wallace walking toward the officers as his mother tried to restrain him. It’s unclear in the video however whether or not Wallace is holding a weapon.

As Wallace continues to approach the officers, the camera briefly points downward and the sounds of several gunshots are heard as the police open fire. The camera then rises again, showing Wallace motionless on the ground as his mother runs toward him, screaming hysterically.

Wallace's family released a statement saying he was a father who was recently married and that he "didn’t deserve" to die.

The Pennsylvania National Guard was deployed to Philadelphia Tuesday as the city braces for a second night of violent riots after tense confrontations between angry demonstrators and police hours after two officers shot and killed a Black man.

Several hundred guardsmen will assist local agencies in "protecting life, property and the right to peacefully assemble and protest," Lt. Col. Keith Hickox said in a statement Tuesday. "We are able to conduct operations in support of civil authorities to enhance local law enforcement’s ability to provide continued public safety and critical infrastructure security."

The move by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to activate the guard is a stark difference from other Democratic governors who have been hesitant or slow to mobilize troops in response to unfolding unrest.

The Philadelphia Police Department will also beef up its presence across the city in anticipation of possible unrest over the death of Walter Wallace Jr., 27, city leaders said.

Protests turned violent in Philadelphia Tuesday night as demonstrators clashed with police, ransacked stores and beat a reporter covering the unrest.

Police and city officials issued swift statements following the incident and promised an investigation. But their assurances did little to assuage many in the city who see the shooting as another example of a Black man being killed by police when they say the situation could have been diffused.

Journalists covering some of the lootings described chaotic scenes they said appeared to be void of any police coverage. Police took to Twitter late Tuesday to announce there were about 1,000 looters in the area of Castor and Aramingo streets alone.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris, D-Callif, issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, “We cannot accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death,” the statement read, the Washington Post reported. They also condemned the riots on Monday night as a “crime” not a “protest.”

Wallace was an aspiring rapper with social media accounts filled with videos.

Guns are a central theme as he rhymes about shooting people, including police.

But his videos also include songs about social causes and police injustice.

Court records show Wallace was currently awaiting trial for allegedly threatening to shoot a woman and her house up.

In 2017, he pled guilty to robbery, assault, and possessing an instrument of crime after kicking down the door of another woman and putting a gun to her head.

And in 2013, he pled guilty to assault and resisting arrest after punching a police officer in the face.

There are several questions that need to be answered... including what the officers knew when they responded, what was put out by radio and how any previous contact with Mr. Wallace factored into yesterday," she said during a virtual news conference.

A judge ordered Wallace to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and treatment as far back as 2013.

His family says he was bipolar.

"I do know that he was on a regimen of lithium and that says to me he was under a doctor's care, and that says to me officers who are trained - invisible ink - properly should notice certain things when they arrive at the scene," said family attorney Shaka Johnson.

If you pull a knife on someone carrying a gun, you'll probably end up getting shot. Tazers are not 100% effective in stopping someone. Before people respond to me with the cop should have used a different method, why don't you try defending off a knife and see how well you do. You can kill many people quickly with a knife. Knives are not something to take with a grain of salt.

Protests over the death of Walter Wallace Jr. turned violent in Brooklyn Tuesday night, resulting in more than two dozen arrests, multiple officers hurt and damaged police vehicles.

The protests were sparked by the death of Wallace Jr., a Black man shot and killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday.

The protests in Downtown Brooklyn quickly turned violent, as protesters broke the windows of businesses, mostly stores and banks, and started small fires in garbage cans.

The NYPD announced 27 arrests and five summonses were issued.

Five officers were injured and nine NYPD vehicles were damaged, mostly with broken windows and graffiti. 39 commercial properties were also vandalized.

In the wake of the violence, and with election night fast approaching, it is now all hands on deck at the NYPD, according to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.

Downtown Brooklyn businesses will start boarding up their windows again following Tuesday night's protests, according to Partnership for New York City President and CEO Kathryn Wylde.

"I just got a whole series of photos and information from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce that did a street tour down there, and in fact, businesses are boarding up," Wylde said. "A lot of windows and doors were broken open and there was graffiti that was very anti-capitalism graffiti. So it doesn't make business feel good about reopening, I'll tell you that.