PHILADELPHIA — The City of Philadelphia has released bodycam video and 911 audio on Wednesday of the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
Officers can be heard saying “put the knife down” at least 11 times before Wallace was fatally shot on October 26, WPVI reported.
The bodycam video shows the officer approaching the home and Wallace appearing on the steps with a knife.
Wallace begins to move off the steps, disregarding multiple commands to drop the weapon. As Wallace enters the middle of the road wielding the knife he is shot multiple times.
At one point in the video, you can hear one of the officers say, “shoot him.”
The officers each fired at least seven rounds but police could not say how many times Wallace was struck.
Wallace was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he later died.
“We truly believe that this is an important step in our commitment to transparency,” said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw during a press conference before the release of the video.
Family members say police were called multiple times before the fatal shooting. 911 calls released Wednesday shed some light on what officers may have known prior to arrival, WPVI reported.
“Could you send the cops … the people next door are fighting,” said one neighbor at 3:42:18 p.m.
Seconds later, another call was made by a family member.
“I’m the daughter to my mother and father, and my brother is — they called the cops earlier and the cops is not doing nothing. He’s over there hitting my mother and father,” said the woman at 3:42:22 p.m.
“Any weapons involved?” asked the 911 operator.
“No, but he got … he’s on probation. He got a case for being violent, he got a whole record,” said the woman.
Another call was made at 3:34:20 p.m.
“My mom needs help,” said a man on the call.
In a police radio transmission just released, audio reveals a warning for officers to use caution.
“Have the officers use caution responding… this is an ongoing domestic issue going on up there,” the dispatcher says.
