At least twenty people were arrested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night after multiple stores were brutally looted.
Philadelphia last night.
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) September 27, 2023
Soft-on-crime policies have normalized looting.
How many of these criminals are out on bail this morning? pic.twitter.com/FmPbi9Pqe3
Looting In Philadelphia
NBC Philadelphia reported that police began receiving calls at around 8pm that large crowds were making their way into Center City. Over 100 juveniles and young adults were involved in the looting, with at least twenty being arrested so far and two firearms being recovered.
Stores that were looted included a Footlocker store, a Lululemon store, and an Apple Store. Disturbing video from the Apple store shows iPhones and iPads scattered across the display tables. Many of the looters left their stolen Apple products behind after realizing that the device’s anti-theft technology rendered them inactive.
Hakeem Russell, a security guard at Wendy’s, said that the store next to his restaurant was looted.
“A couple a kids decided they wanted to take full advantage of the unjust shooting that’s happened,” Russell said. “It’s definitely been unrest around here since the verdict.”
“In a proactive measure, officers from the 9th District stopped a group of males dressed in black attire and wearing masks at the intersection of 17th and Chestnut Streets,” a police spokesperson told Fox News.
Protests In Philadelphia
This came hours after a Philadelphia judge dismissed charges against former police officer Mark Dial in the shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. Interim Commissioner John Stanford, however, claimed that the looting had nothing to do with a peaceful protest over this ruling.
“This had nothing to do with the protests,” Stanford told Fox 29. “What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists taking advantage of a situation to make an attempt to destroy our city.”
“These were not protesters; these were criminals,” he added.
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Police said it was “disgusting” to see what the city of Philadelphia went through in 2020, and for people to try to recreate it.
“Everyone in the city should be angry,” Stanford said.
Mayor And Police Respond
Mayor Jim Kenney (D) addressed the situation in a statement issued on Wednesday morning.
“Thank you to @PhillyPolice for their swift response to disperse crowds and make necessary arrests related to last night’s incidents,” he said. “This was a sickening display of opportunistic criminal activity, and we will not stand for it.”
“The Philadelphia Police Department is committed to maintaining public safety and order,” police said in the statement issued this morning. “We are actively investigating these incidents and working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for these unlawful acts.”
“We appreciate the cooperation of our community and urge anyone with information related to these incidents to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigations,” the statement continued. “We would like to thank our dedicated officers who swiftly responded to these incidents, as well as our community members who continue to support law enforcement efforts to keep Philadelphia safe.”
Philadelphia is sadly just one of many Democrat-run cities that has descended into complete chaos when it comes to crime in recent years. In the end, people get what they vote for, so Philadelphia residents might want to consider that before voting for more lawmakers who will enact soft-on-crime liberal policies during the next election cycle.
