Getty A Philly officer was run over.
Video captured the disturbing moment a black pickup truck appeared to hit a police officer in Philadelphia as unrest escalated in the Pennsylvania city following the shooting death of Walter Wallace Jr.
The video is a bit shaky at times, but you can see the black pickup truck careen down the street, and then the officer lying on the ground. “He hit a cop,” shouts a bystander. “Oh my God, he hit a cop.”
You can watch the video here but be aware it’s disturbing because of what it depicts. The officer’s name and condition are not known; it’s also not known whether the truck intentionally struck the officer.
The video starts with a scene showing a line of police officers in riot position. The officers then move forward as the scene grows chaotic, and a black pickup truck with a person hanging out of it turns.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Man Who Was Shot, Wallace Jr., had a Knife, Police Say
A citizen cell phone video emerged showing the moment Wallace was shot and killed in front of his mother. It, too, is disturbing.
Police say that Wallace had a knife and moved toward officers. The distance he was from the officers when they first started shooting was not immediately clear.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, witnesses that the officers fired at least a dozen times; the newspaper said 13 evidence markers were observed at the scene.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wallace was “armed with a knife.” The newspaper named Wallace after learning his name from family members; police have not officially released it. According to the newspaper, he “appeared further than arm’s length away” when the officer fired. CBS Philadelphia reported that he was “raising his arm as he approaches police.”
“Responding officers witnessed a male on the block. Immediately they noticed he had a knife in his possession and he was brandishing it, and waiving it erratically,” said Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp to CBS Philadelphia.
1. Wallace Jr.’s Father Said He Had Mental Health Issues as Looting Erupted in Philly
Walter Wallace Jr., 27, a twin, father, and son, was shot 10 times by police, said his father, Walter Wallace Sr.
A video shows Wallace was at least 10 ft away from the officers when began shooting. His mother begged them not to shoot. t.co/vDegRuaW8V
According to the Inquirer’s reporter Ellie Rushing, Wallace “was a twin, father, and son, was shot 10 times by police.” The latter information is from his father.
Rushing quoted his father, Walter Wallace Sr., as saying, “Why didn’t they use a taser? His mother was trying to diffuse the situation.”
He told Rushing that his son was on medication for mental health issues.
“He has mental issues. Why you have to gun him down?” he said to Rushing.
The police spokesman told the Inquirer that Wallace “advanced towards the policemen after they ordered him to drop the knife.”
Social media photos and reports showed rioting throughout the city, including looting and arson fires. The Inquirer reported that bricks were thrown at cops. “Police cleared people in the street by running down 52nd in a line, batons drawn and yelling to go home. Crowd has dwindled a lot since,” reporter Anna Orso wrote on Twitter.
“This is a downright tragedy. Walter Wallace Jr., a resident of my district, was shot to death by police while his mother stood steps away. I extend my deepest condolences to her, and to all of this young man’s family and friends. Our whole community is mourning his loss tonight,” Councilmember Jamie Gauthier wrote in a statement posted to her Twitter page.
“I am calling on the Philadelphia Police Department to immediately release the body camera footage of the officers involved in this incident. The public deserves a full, unvarnished accounting of what took place today.”
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