“We’re fighting for a better tomorrow for all of us. And I’m devastated that there is no tomorrow for Walter Wallace, Jr. Black Lives Matter. Yesterday, today, and always.”
October 22, 2020
PHILADELPHIA— Following the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace, Jr. at the hands of Philadelphia Police, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:
“I am heartsick, weary, and enraged. Again and again, for far too many, being Black in America has deadly consequences. The video of Walter Wallace, Jr. being shot and killed by Philadelphia police, followed by the guttural screams of his mother running to his fallen body, is too much to bear.
“It is hard, as a Black man, to have hope for tomorrow when our society is built on such deep seated racism that our very right to breathe is called into question by those in power. Mr. Wallace, Jr. should be alive tonight. Instead, his family mourns a devastating loss that unfolded before their eyes.
“We should all be disgusted and horrified that an encounter with the police can, and far too often does, turn deadly for Black and Brown individuals. Every human being of conscience should see that video and know in their core that this society is deeply broken. Our system of policing is deeply broken.
“This union will never stop fighting for justice, for dignity, and for humanity. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, we reiterated our deep commitment to racial justice in our Five Principles. To us, union work is justice work. We’re fighting for a better tomorrow for all of us. And I’m devastated that there is no tomorrow for Walter Wallace, Jr.
“Black Lives Matter. Yesterday, today, and always.”
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