Philadelphia Agrees To Give Police Tasers After Walter Wallace Shooting

By Norman Dotson Published: October 28, 2021

Philadelphia Agrees To Give Police Tasers After Walter Wallace Shooting

People stand near the scene of a police shooting in Philadelphia, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after police officers fatally shot a man during a confrontation. Police officers fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man, during a confrontation Monday afternoon in West Philadelphia. (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

In Summary

The family of Walter Wallace, a man killed in a police shooting five months after George Floyd’s murder, demanded police reform, leading to officers receiving tasers and added training.

One year after the shooting death of Walter Wallace by Philadelphia police officers, the city has reached a settlement and agrees to equip officers with tasers.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the city said it would spend $14 million to purchase the electroshock weapons for all of its patrol officers, train them on proper use and make it a requirement for them to wear tasers on the job.

“The killing of Mr. Wallace, Jr. was painful and traumatic for many Philadelphians,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement according to the article. “This tragic and unsettling incident, along with last year’s protests, underscored the urgency of many important reforms such as mental health training and crisis response resources.”

Wallace’s death came five months after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked national outrage and reckoning over police brutality. Cities around the country pledged a review of their practices and policies, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Philadelphia’s police force, including the two officers who shot Wallace, did not have tasers.

In a report from CNN, family attorney Shaka Johnson told reporters that the family is not calling for the Philadelphia police officers who fatally shot him to be charged with murder.

Wallace was described by family members as having bipolar disorder and was in crisis during the time of the incident. Some contend that the officers were well within their rights as to the type of force they used. Wallace exited his house with a knife in his hand and officers commanded him to drop it. An officer then told Wallace to “back up” before opening fire, according to the CNN report.

CNN also reported that Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said the department has the technology to flag calls which have a behavioral health component, but the person in that role was not working at the time of the Walter Wallace incident. The report goes on to add that 4,500 patrol officers make up Philadelphia’s police force and the department has 2,300 tasers.

The settlement will go into effect after gaining expected approval from the Court of Common Pleas.