Philadelphia city officials on Wednesday released “traumatic” bodycam footage worn by the officers who fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. last week, urging the public to remain calm as the city comes under national scrutiny for the shooting.
The Philadelphia Police Department also released multiple 911 calls made by neighbors and Wallace’s own family, pleading for help as the 27-year-old experienced a violent psychological episode.
The bodycam videos begin as officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz stand outside of Wallace’s parents’ home — a brick row house with a small porch. It is unclear if the officers knocked on the front door, but as they wait on the sidewalk, about 15 feet away, someone inside the house can be heard saying, “Put the knife down,” three distinct times.
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