The Pennsylvania National Guard was deployed to Philadelphia Tuesday as the city braces for a second night of violent riots after tense confrontations between angry demonstrators and police hours after two officers shot and killed a Black man.
Several hundred guardsmen will assist local agencies in “protecting life, property and the right to peacefully assemble and protest,” Lt. Col. Keith Hickox said in a statement Tuesday. “We are able to conduct operations in support of civil authorities to enhance local law enforcement’s ability to provide continued public safety and critical infrastructure security.”
The move by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to activate the guard is a stark difference from other Democratic governors who have been hesitant or slow to mobilize troops in response to unfolding unrest.
The Philadelphia Police Department will also beef up its presence across the city in anticipation of possible unrest over the death of Walter Wallace Jr., 27, city leaders said.
“For today and this evening, we anticipate the chance of additional incidents of civil unrest and, as such, we will be taking additional steps to ensure order,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a news conference along with Mayor Jim Kenney and city leaders.
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The city will increase the number of officers at “key locations” within the city to respond to any reports of violence, she said. Officials have also asked law enforcement agencies outside the city to help bolster personnel, Outlaw said.
Specifics regarding the number of officers and locations of where they will be placed were not released…
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