A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Walter Wallace Jr, a Philadelphia black man experiencing a mental health episode whose fat...
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Walter Wallace Jr, a Philadelphia black man experiencing a mental health episode whose fatal shooting by police a year ago was recorded and led to protests, was settled today.
The family's attorney, Shaka Johnson, said during a news conference that it was 'substantial,' but did not disclose the amount of the monetary settlement.
Johnson stressed the family's priority during the settlement was an injunctive agreement that resulted in the announcement this week that the city would spend $14 million to equip all patrol officers with stun guns and require they be carried while on duty.
'It was ... a substantial monetary settlement that reflected the tragedy that took place, the city´s role and policy failures that contributed to his death,' Johnson said.
'The financial settlement was never the family's primary objective. They have from the beginning called for reforms to the police department,' he added.
Philadelphia settled a lawsuit filed by the family of Walter Wallace, a black man experiencing a mental health episode whose fatal shooting by police a year ago was recorded and led to protests
The family of Wallace, 27, had made several calls for help on the day of the October 2020 shooting, some of them noting he was becoming violent as he experienced a mental health crisis
The family's attorney stressed that their priority during the settlement was an injunctive agreement that resulted in the announcement this week that the city would spend $14 million to equip all patrol officers with stun guns
The US Department of Justice recommended, in a review of the police department's use of deadly force in 2015, that Philadelphia issue stun guns to all patrol officers, but that never happened, Johnson said.
The family of Wallace, 27, had made several calls for help on the day of the October 2020 shooting, some of them noting he was becoming violent as he experienced a mental health crisis.
Video from officers and bystanders showed that two white police officers fired fatal shots within a minute of responding to the home in Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek neighborhood.
During those tense seconds, Wallace appeared to be holding a knife at his side. He ignored commands to drop the weapon as he walked off a porch and zigzagged between cars and across the street.
Officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz fired 14 shots at the man, and he crumpled in the street. His mother could be seen in bystander video following Wallace and begging police not to shoot.
Matarazzo and Munz had joined the department two and three years ago, respectively.
According to Wallace's family, he had a history of mental health issues including bipolar disorder.
The footage shot on a witness's smartphone begins with Wallace walking between parked cars outside the front of some homes in the residential neighborhood. His mother is following him trying to get hold of him as shouts ring the air
Wallace walks towards the officers with his arm outstretched. 'Put the knife down, put the knife down,' one officer can be heard saying in the clip
Both officers open fire, with at least seven shots heard. Wallace then collapses in the street as screams ring out and his mother runs over hysterically screaming 'no'
The shooting, just five months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests, sparked days of unrest and marches demanding an end to police brutality in Philadelphia.
In the video, the officers draw their guns at Wallace as he walks toward them with his arm outstretched.
'Put the knife down, put the knife down,' one officer can be heard saying in the clip.
Wallace continues walking toward them and both officers open fire. Wallace then collapses in the street as screams ring out.
His mother runs over towards her son with her arms in the air, hysterically screaming 'no'. Several other bystanders also rush over with their arms in the air as one cop approaches Wallace's body while the other is seen speaking into his radio.
'My god! Oh my god,' the man recording the footage says.
'They just killed him in front of me! You really had to give him that many f***ing shots?' Screaming is heard and Wallace's devastated mom is seen trying to hit one of the officers.
'It was ... a substantial monetary settlement that reflected the tragedy that took place, the city´s role and policy failures that contributed to his death,' attorney Shaka Johnson said
Officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz fired 14 shots at the man, as Wallace crumpled in the street
The shooting sparked days of unrest and marches demanding an end to police brutality in Philadelphia
A business owner stands outside of her looted beauty supply store following protests over the police shooting of Walter Wallace in Philadelphia
Looters gather at a burglarized beauty supply store
Wallace was then rushed to hospital in a police vehicle where he was pronounced dead soon after.
Wallace's family has said that if officers had been equipped with less lethal options than guns, he would still be alive.
Johnson said the settlement means there will be legal recourse if the city fails to follow through on giving stun guns to officers.
'If this situation can save anybody's life ... if we can save any human being, then I think it is for a good cause,' said Wallace's father, Walter Wallace Sr.
After the shooting, police and city officials said that nearly two-thirds of the more than 6,000-member Philadelphia police force were not equipped with or trained to use electroshock weapons.
A script of questions now in place for 911 operators designed to help identify mental health issues before officers arrive is also in part, thanks to negotiations during the lawsuit, Johnson said.
A sign urging citizens to vote stands outside of a looted cellphone store in Philadelphia
The aftermath of looting is seen at a beauty supply store after a BLM rampage in Philadelphia
No comments