Walter Wallace Jr.'s family condemns violence and looting in Philadelphia, begs for justice and peace

The family of Walter Wallace Jr., calling for justice and peace, denounced the violence and looting taking place in Philadelphia after video of the deadly police shooting went viral.

"I don't condone no violence, tearing up the city, looting up the stores, and all this chaos going," Walter Wallace Sr. said Tuesday night. "I would like that everybody having respect for my family and my son to stop this violent and chaos, what's going on in the city."

Speaking to reporters, Wallace Sr. asked for answers on the police shooting of his 27-year-old son, which was captured on bodycam footage. According to the Wallace family, police had visited their home three times on Monday. They said the younger Wallace suffered from mental health problems for years and that night the family called 911 for an ambulance but instead, the police arrived.

Police fatally shot Wallace, who was reportedly armed with a knife, after he allegedly strode toward the officers and refused to drop the knife.

"I was telling the police to stop, don't shoot my son. They paid me no mind and they just shot him," said Cathy Wallace, the deceased's mother.

"Justice got to be done to help my son and help my family," Wallace Sr. told WTXF-TV. "That's all I'm sending out, is an S.O.S. to help, and not to hurt and cause no chaos, violent looting, fire ... I wasn't brought up like that."

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting, riots have erupted in Philadelphia. More than 30 police officers were injured Monday as police are being targeted for assault. Looters are taking advantage of the chaos as well to rob Philadelphia stores. BlazeTV reporter Elijah Schaffer was assaulted inside a Philadelphia store while covering the violence.

The Wallace family has repeatedly called for peace.

"I ain't got time to loot, burn up, and destroy where I live. It's uncalled for, it really, really is and the people doing it ain't helping my family. They are showing disrespect," Wallace Sr. said.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, the White House announced it is prepared to deploy federal resources to stop the violence at the request of Pennsylvania officials.

"The riots in Philadelphia are the most recent consequence of the Liberal Democrats' war against the police," the Trump administration said.

"All lethal force incidents must be fully investigated. The facts must be followed wherever they lead to ensure fair and just results. In America, we resolve conflicts through the courts and the justice system. We can never allow mob rule," the statement said. "The Trump administration stands proudly with law enforcement, and stands ready, upon request, to deploy any and all Federal resources to end these riots."

A statement from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris expressed sympathy for the Wallace family, while condemning the violence in Philadelphia.

"Walter Wallace's life, like too many others', was a Black life that mattered — to his mother, to his family, to his community, to all of us," the statement said in part. "At the same time, no amount of anger at the very real injustices in our society excuses violence. Attacking police officers and vandalizing small businesses, which are already struggling during a pandemic, does not bend the moral arc of the universe closer to justice. It hurts our fellow citizens. Looting is not a protest, it is a crime."

Biden and Harris attacked President Trump in their statement.

"All Donald Trump does is fan the flames of division in our society. He is incapable of doing the real work to bring people together. We will," they said.