Philadelphia officials released bodycam footage and the 911 call audio from the fatal police killing of 27-year-old Walter Wallace.
What We Know:
- Last Monday, October 26, Wallace was shot by police officers, Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz, after they responded to a call about a man with a knife. The body camera video shows officers approaching Wallace’s home as he appears on the steps holding the reported knife. In the video, police are heard cautioning Wallace to “put the knife down” at least 11 times before opening fire.
- Wallace disregards the officers’ commands to forfeit his weapon and a woman screams, “No, no he’s mental”. His mother and another man both attempt to get Wallace out of the street but fail. The officers fired around 14 shots total before he fell to the ground.
- Wallace’s family shared his past struggles with mental illness including bipolar disorder adding that he had been attending therapy sessions. When officers arrived to his home last Monday afternoon, relatives say Wallace was experiencing “another one of his episodes”.
- In the 911 call audio, Wallace’s sister is heard requesting the help of the police. She says they came earlier and did nothing. She told them her brother was hitting her parents and had a history of violence. In the released police transmission radio audio, a dispatcher is heard warning the officers to “use caution responding” letting them know “an ongoing domestic issue” has been going on.
- This is the first time body camera footage has been shown to the public in the police department’s history. Before the video’s release, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw expressed the importance of transparency with the community to promote meaningful changes and hold authorities accountable. She promised reforms consisting of more de-escalation training and effective coordination with mental health specialist will be in place by next year. She claims the new program will connect clinical staff with dispatchers when they get behavioral crisis “to determine the most appropriate response”.
- Wallace’s family will not be pushing for Matarazzo or Muns to be charge with murder. According to lawyer Shaka Johnson, this is because the officers were not properly trained and did not have the appropriate equipment to carry out their duties. Neither officer had tasers at the time of the shooting. Mayor Jim Kenney says he is discussing an immediate transfer of money with the City Council to have all officers geared and trained on the use of tasers.
The released audio and video were both edited by the Philadelphia Police Department and approved by the Wallace family. They urge the outraged community by the video to peacefully honor the loss of Wallace’s life.
