Philadelphia curfew ends, National Guard arrives as city braces for possible unrest following shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A citywide curfew went into effect 9 p.m. Friday as Philadelphia braced for possible unrest following the shooting death of Walter Wallace Jr. The curfew was lifted 6 a.m. Saturday.
Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard arrived in Philadelphia Friday morning to protect vulnerable city buildings and help businesses hit hard by looters following nights of unrest.
The National Guard was requested by city leaders earlier this week following the shooting death of Wallace, 27, a Black man with a history of mental health problems, that prompted protests, widespread vandalism and an overnight curfew.
It was not immediately clear how many members of the National Guard would be arriving in Philadelphia, but the city said the need for continued deployment would be decided on a day-to-day basis.
Police said Wallace, 27, was wielding a knife and ignored orders to drop the weapon before officers fired shots Monday afternoon in West Philadelphia. But, according to his parents, officers knew their son was in a mental health crisis because they had been to the family's house three times on Monday.
During a news conference Thursday, family attorney Shaka Johnson told reporters that the family is not calling for the police officers to be charged with murder.
WATCH: Walter Wallace Jr.'s family does not want Philadelphia officers to face murder charges, attorney says
"And here's why, here's why: they were improperly trained and did not have the proper equipment by which to effectuate their job," Johnson said.
The comments came after the family watched body camera footage of the moments leading up to Wallace's death, which Johnson said shows him in an "obvious mental health crisis."
RAW VIDEO: Video shows officers yelling 'put the knife down' before fatal shooting
The police bodycam video and 911 audio will be released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to a statement by city officials and the Wallace family.
During a news conference on Friday, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw discussed the pros and cons of releasing the footage.
"I think being open and transparent is important but we have to understand the outcome can go in any direction," she said.
At least 14 shots were fired, police said, with at least seven from each officer.
"None of the 14 shots were necessary, but if you were going to shoot, the first shot incapacitated the man. There were 13 shots to follow, which is why he is no longer with us," said Johnson.
Neither officer was equipped with a Taser.
RAW VIDEO: Philadelphia officer dragged by vehicle after looters ransack furniture store
Since Monday, there have been a total of 214 arrests, police said.
Fifty-seven officers have been injured since the unrest. One officer remains hospitalized at this time.
