We are outraged by the murder of Walter Wallace, Jr. on the streets of Philadelphia, PA on October 26, 2020!

When citizens call 911, we are asking to be served and protected, not antagonized and murdered. When Walter Wallace Jr.'s family member called asking for assistance, they did not expect to witness police officers escalate an already intense situation that culminated with pumping bullets into his body. 

Mentally Ill citizens are 16 times more likely to be killed by a police officer. Black mentally ill citizens are even more likely to be killed by police. (Berkeley News) We demand that the City of Philadelphia make provisions to:

1. Create special units on the police force that include mental health professionals who respond to concerns related to mentally ill citizens.

2. Ensure that all officers have non-lethal tools at their disposal such as tazers, pepper spray and rubber bullets and demand that they use them before deadly force. 

3. Establish a citizen review board that has the power to review incidents and make binding decisions about consequences for police infractions.  

When citizens call for help, we should all survive the encounter.