At Least 15-20 People Arrested After Large Crowds Of Juveniles Loot Multiple Stores In Philadelphia!
The streets of Center City Philadelphia were under the chaos of some large-scale crowd that looted the nearby shops and also caused a lot of property damage that was on Tuesday night which was recorded by the cameras.
Large Crowds Of Juveniles Loot Multiple Stores In Philadelphia
This incident came shortly after peaceful protests, prompted by the dismissal of charges against the officer involved in the shooting of Eddie Irizarry. Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford was quick to emphasize that the looting was unrelated to the earlier peaceful protest, characterizing the looters as “criminal opportunists.”
Around 8 p.m. on that fateful night, the Philadelphia Police Department started receiving distress calls about large groups of juveniles entering Center City. The situation became worse for stores such as Footlocker, Apple, and Lululemon which became targets for looters. There are some videos captured by phone of looters getting into the Apple Store.
At Least 15-20 People Arrested
Acting Commissioner Stanford disclosed that the police had made 15-20 arrests up to that point and had recovered two firearms. However, they remained uncertain about whether these firearms were linked to the looting.
Over 100 juveniles and young adults were involved, leaving authorities unsure about the full extent of affected businesses. Stanford made it clear that these individuals were not protesters but criminals taking advantage of the situation.
Security Guard Assault
Amid the chaos, a security guard at Wendy’s reported that the store next door had been broken into, and the guard was assaulted. The situation was fueled by lingering tensions following the recent dismissal of charges against Officer Mark Dial, who had been accused of fatally shooting Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Hakeem Russel, the security guard, pointed out that some individuals sought to exploit this “unjust shooting,” adding to the unrest in the area.
Property Damage and Stolen Merchandise
The looters displayed a blatant disregard for property, with iPhones and iPads scattered across display tables in the Apple store. A security guard at Footlocker was also allegedly assaulted. Reports emerged of the group using large plastic bags to collect stolen store merchandise, further illustrating the extent of the damage and theft.
Separating Unrest From Protests
Multiple Philadelphia Police commanders confirmed that the looting had no connection to the peaceful protests that had occurred earlier in the day. These protests were mainly intended to verdict regarding Officer Dial and had concluded peacefully, serving as a stark contrast to the subsequent turmoil.
