[Walter Wallace Jr.]
NPR: “Wallace’s mother follows her son into the street, grabbing at him and standing between him and the officers. One officer — it’s unclear which of the two — calls for her to move away from Wallace.”
Photo: Twitter
Philadelphia city officials on Wednesday released “traumatic” bodycam footage worn by the officers who fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. last week, urging the public to remain calm as the city comes under national scrutiny for the shooting.
The Philadelphia Police Department also released multiple 911 calls made by neighbors and Wallace’s own family, pleading for help as the 27-year-old experienced a violent psychological episode.
The bodycam videos begin as officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz stand outside of Wallace’s parents’ home — a brick row house with a small porch.
It is unclear if the officers knocked on the front door, but as they wait on the sidewalk, about 15 feet away, someone inside the house can be heard saying, “Put the knife down,” three distinct times.
But the 27-year-old Black man steps out of the screen door and onto the porch holding a large knife in his right hand.
Both Matarazzo and Munz immediately shout at Wallace to “drop the weapon.”
Between them, they repeat some variation of the command about 11 times.
Wallace ignores the orders and begins to move off the steps and toward the officers with the knife at his side.
He then turns away from Matarazzo and Munz, who both have their weapons drawn.
Wallace’s mother follows her son into the street, grabbing at him and standing between him and the officers.
One officer — it’s unclear which of the two — calls for her to move away from Wallace.
Read rest of story here.
