Wallace Jr. Deserved Care During a Crisis, Not Lethal Force
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today mourns with the family of Walter Wallace Jr., a Philadelphia man killed last night at the hands of police. Wallace, who was armed with a knife and reportedly was experiencing a mental health crisis, was shot multiple times after refusing to drop the weapon. Following his death, over three hundred Philadelphians took to the streets to protest police brutality.
“We mourn with the family of Walter Wallace Jr. His death serves as yet another tragic reminder that we must do more for those in need of mental health assistance and that police officers simply do not have the training to do so,” said Revered Reuben Eckels, Domestic Policy Advocate at Church World Service. “We as a nation have become all too inured to the deaths of our fellow citizens at the hands of those sworn to protect our communities. Walter Wallace Jr was armed, yes, and he was mentally unstable, but he was still a human being that deserved our help. Until we do more to address the true needs of our neighbors, the last resort will sadly continue to be the first option.”
As part of Church World Service’s Platform on Racial Justice, the organization is calling for action. Community needs that are currently treated as law enforcement issues would be better served with increased funding for mental health response teams, public education and after-school programming, nutrition and well-being support, health care services, workforce development programs, violence prevention and intervention programs, and education and training for civilians on bystander intervention.
For more information CWS’s Platform on Racial Justice, visit CWSGlobal.org.