Looters clean out entire black-owned boutique in less than one minute in Philadelphia during a night of protest over the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
It took under one minute for a swarm of looters to ransack a black-owned boutique in Philadelphia amid demonstrations over the death of Walter Wallace Jr.
At least 200 small businesses were targeted by looters, including La'Vanter Boutique, where owner Jameelah Scurry arrived on Tuesday to find it a shell of its former self.
'We are now in danger of losing everything we worked so hard for,' Scurry said Wednesday, adding 'we had everything taken from us in less than a minute.'
The incident on Tuesday was the second time the store has been looted, after previously being robbed during protests in August.
Philadelphia this week transformed into the site of both peaceful demonstrations and civil unrest as Wallace Jr., 27, became one of 804 black men killed by police this year.
La'Vanter Boutique (pictured) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was looted on Tuesday night as the city responded to the death of Walter Wallace Jr.
Scurry (pictured outside her store) quit her job, empty her savings account, max out her credit cards and even sell her home to open the business
Surveillance footage taken inside La'Vanter Boutique shows two women sneaking inside after hours.
They grab items from around the store, with one woman shouting, 'I hope we do not get caught!'
Seconds later, at least 20 other people flood into the small boutique and begin pulling it apart by the seams.
Clothes are desperately snatched from the rack, accessories pulled down from shelves and hangers tossed haphazardly onto the ground.
Tuesday's robbery came two months after La'Vanter Boutique was looted on August 27, around the time demonstrations began over the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake.
'It's been a rough journey, selling our house, moving, to get the money together to start our dream,' she told ABC 6.
At least 20 people rushed inside La'Vanter Boutique after hours to steal clothing items and accessories on Tuesday
La'Vanter Boutique was in the midst of celebrating its two-year anniversary when it was damaged and cleared out
Owner Jameelah Scurry (pictured) said 'we are now in danger of losing everything we worked so hard for' after the looting
Like so many other small black business owners, Scurry put her entire life into La'Vanter Boutique with hopes that it would flourish.
Scurry wanted to 'invest in [her] dreams and community,' which prompted her to quit her job, empty her savings account, max out her credit cards and even sell her home to open the business.
'The journey was long and rough. We just came up on our two-year mark that we've been here,' Scurry told ABC 6. 'So, we were also celebrating that and our two-year mark in business.'
Pictured: La'Vanter Boutique after it was looted on Tuesday night
Scurry considered herself fortunate to survive the economic upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this latest hit threatened to upend all her hard work.
A GoFundMe was created on Wednesday to help Scurry get back on track and community members have already donated $24,000 of its $30,000 goal.
'It's been a real blessing,' she told ABC 6. 'I appreciate everybody that reached out to even give us encouraging words and that are praying for us.'
She added: 'We as Black people, really need to reunite and come together 'Destroying and tearing down our own people is not the answer.'
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced that a city-wide curfew was implemented through Thursday at 6am in response to demonstrations.
On Monday afternoon, Wallace Jr. was shot dead by Philadelphia officers after he approached them with a knife.
Wallace was shot multiple times and killed around 4 p.m. Monday when officers were called out to reports of a domestic incident at Locust and South 61st streets in Cobbs Creek, West Philadelphia.
Police respond to a looting at a store in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night
A woman sits on the floor before being arrested as police officers make arrests as people defy a citywide 9pm curfew, enacted after protests following the death of Walter Wallace Jr. who was shot by police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The family of Wallace Jr., who suffered from bipolar disorder and was in crisis during the incident, said they called for an ambulance to help him with his mental health emergency - not police intervention.
Wallace's father, Walter Wallace Sr., revealed he was distraught by the way responding officers 'butchered' his son.
'It's in my mind. I can't even sleep at night. I can't even close my eyes.'
He further condemned the bouts of violence that have erupted in the city in recent days.
'They're not helping my family, they're showing disrespect. Stop this violence and chaos. People have businesses. We all got to eat. It's an SOS to help, not to hurt.'
Police officers make arrests as people defy a citywide 9pm curfew, enacted after protests following the death of Walter Wallace Jr.
Philadelphia: A BLM protester drives down the street with a large LED sign in their trailer that reads 'I don't hate cops. I have that cops don't speak against the killing of black by cops' as protesters walk either side of the vehicle
Philadelphia: Hundreds of people demonstrated in Philadelphia late on October 27, with looting and violence breaking out in a second night of unrest after the latest police shooting of a Black man in the US
President Trump has offered to deploy the National Guard to Philadelphia after more than 100 people were arrested since Monday
More than 100 people have been arrested since Monday. Some 30 police officers sustained injuries.
On Wednesday night, authorities discovered a van with propane tanks, torches, and alleged dynamite sticks.
President Trump offered to send the National Guard to Philadelphia to quell protests, which pitted him against local Oregon and New York leaders this summer.
'We’re watching it very closely and we’re waiting for a call. If they want help with there, we’ll be in there within one hour,' Trump said during a campaign stop in Arizona. 'We’re ready to go within one hour.'
No comments