Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old black man, was fatally shot by police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 26, 2020. Two Philadelphia Police Department officers arrived in the area to respond to a domestic dispute. When police arrived, Wallace moved towards them holding a knife, which he refused to drop after repeated requests. When Wallace charged at the officers with knife in hand, each officer fired several times in the shoulder and chest. He later died in the hospital. The Wallace family later stated he was having a mental-health crisis.

In response to the killing, violent demonstrations and looting occurred in Philadelphia on October 26 and 27, leading to arrests, injuries to police, and deployment of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Walter Wallace Jr. was an aspiring rapper and father of seven who was married in October 2020. At the time of his death, he was 27 years old. According to family members and the family's attorney, Wallace suffered from mental illness and was taking lithium.^[1][2]

On October 26, 2020, police arrived to a house on the 6100 block of Locust Street in Philadelphia three separate times. At around 4:00 pm, during their third arrival, they came in response to reports of a person screaming and a man assaulting an elderly female.^[2] Video on social media shows Wallace walking into the street as people yell and two police officers aim their guns at him. At one point, Wallace, who is several feet away from the officers in the video, walks toward them as they quickly move backward, telling him at least twice to "put the knife down".^[2]

The camera points down toward the ground as several shots are heard.^[3] Wallace's mother tried to stop him moments before the officers fired. Chief Inspector Frank Vanore said each officer fired about seven rounds, with an unknown number of shots striking Wallace.^[4] One of the officers placed Wallace in a police vehicle and drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.^[5]

The officers involved in the shooting were moved to desk duty pending an investigation.^[6]

Investigators said the officers involved were wearing police body cameras, and the footage will be part of the investigation.^[4]

The Wallace family's attorney, Shaka Johnson, said the family had called for an ambulance to get Wallace help with a mental health crisis, not for police intervention, and that Wallace was suffering from bipolar disorder.^[7] Wallace's parents said officers knew their son was in a mental health crisis because they had been to the family's house three times on October 26.^[8] Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said the police dispatch prior to the shooting said, "tell the officers to use caution in responding to this, it’s an ongoing domestic issue going on up there."^[2]

Wallace's father, Walter Wallace Sr., said his son had mental health issues and was on medication and asked why the police did not use a Taser instead.^[9]

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the shooting, which was partially captured on video by a bystander, raised "difficult questions that must be answered". Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said there would be an investigation,^[3] and that neither officer was equipped with a Taser, and not all officers carry them.^[2]

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris published a statement, sharing, "Our hearts are broken for the family of Walter Wallace Jr....We cannot accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death."^[10] US President Donald Trump tied the protesters to his democratic rival, Joe Biden, without formal evidence of a link. "Last night [Monday] Philadelphia was torn up by Biden-supporting radicals," he said. "... Biden stands with the rioters, and I stand with the heroes of law enforcement."^[7]

Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby said, "Our police officers are being vilified for doing their job and keeping the community safe, after being confronted by a man with a knife. We support and defend these officers."^[6]

A candlelight vigil was held outside of Portland's Justice Center on October 27, in Portland, Oregon.^[5]

Both Wallace's father and his cousin, Anthony Fitzhugh, decried the looting.^[1][2] White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah said on October 27 during Fox & Friends that the White House was "prepared to deploy federal resources" in response to the protests.^[11]

On the night of October 26 into the morning of October 27, protesters marched through West Philadelphia, and video posted on social media appeared to show the police clashing with demonstrators. The violence and unrest then spread to other parts of West Philadelphia and other adjacent city neighborhoods. Police arrested at least 91 people overnight, charging most with looting.^[4]

According to the Philadelphia Police Department, thirty police officers were injured, in most cases by bricks and rocks that were thrown by protesters. Five police vehicles and one fire department vehicle were vandalized.^[3] A 56-year-old female police officer received a broken leg after being hit by a pickup truck.^[12][13]

On October 27, the state and city authorities requested help from the Pennsylvania National Guard, which then mobilized several hundred members of the armed forces.^[6] According to police reports, businesses began getting looted right before 9 pm in North Philadelphia, with around one thousand people looting businesses northeast of Center City. Residents from several districts of Philadelphia were instructed by police to stay indoors to avoid "widespread demonstrations that have turned violent with looting".^[1]

The Philadelphia Party for Socialism and Liberation held a march from Malcolm X Park in West Philadelphia through Penn's campus to Clark Park. Protestors at the march called for the de-funding of the Philadelphia Police Department and the arrest of the officers involved. The march was endorsed by six justice organizations, including the Penn Community for Justice and the city's Black Lives Matter chapter.^[14]

Violence broke about between police and protesters near a police precinct, with some in the crowd throwing rocks, light bulbs, and bricks at the police, leaving one officer injured.^[6] Police officers armed with riot gear lined the streets, and broke up large groups to arrest those accused of throwing projectiles, by hitting them with batons and tackling them.^[15]

A group of protestors gathered in Portland, Oregon on October 27, and marched through North Portland.^[5] It was one of three separate demonstrations in the city that night, with one crowd gathering at Arbor Lodge Park and marched to Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan's house, and called on him to further de-fund the Portland Police Bureau.^[16]

Protests and violence were seen in New York City on October 27, with dozens of protesters arrested in Brooklyn after reports of damage to property. Police stated that police vehicles were damaged, and trash cans, American flags and additional objects were set on fire in videos on social media. Officers and protesters met near Boerum Place, a train station in Brooklyn, where several officers were reportedly injured after a car tried to drive through a group of cops.^[16]

• 2020 United States racial unrest