A group of young looters created havoc in Philadelphia Tuesday night, stealing from several stores in a spree that is unrelated to earlier peaceful protests over a judge’s decision to drop charges against a cop who fatally shot Eddie Irizarry, police said.
The unruly crowd outnumbered responding officers as they went store to store in Center City — lifting merchandise and stuffing the loot in large plastic bags, CBS Philadelphia reported.
The shoplifters hit a Foot Locker and Apple store near 15th and Chestnut Streets as well as a Lululemon in Rittenhouse Square and are accused of assaulting a security guard at the shoe store, according to the local station.
Police said they have made multiple arrests in connection to the frenzied mass-shoplifting event.
The looting has no connection to the demonstrations held earlier in the day over the dismissal of charges in the Irizarry case, multiple Philadelphia police commanders told the outlet.
Municipal Judge Wendy Pew dismissed all charges — which included murder, manslaughter, official oppression and more — against Philadelphia Officer Mark Dial who shot Irizarry, 27, through his rolled-up car window during a traffic stop on Aug 14.
Pew said she “100%” agreed with Dial’s defense attorneys who argued that the cop acted in defense when he fired his gun six times at Irizarry, believing he had a gun.
Irizarry, who was pulled over for erratic driving after a short pursuit, had a knife near his legs which Dial’s partner testified he may have mistaken for a gun due to its dark handle.
The victim’s family members were taken aback by the judge’s decision, which prosecutors plan to appeal.
“We are going to continue to fight for justice because that was wrong,” Irizarry’s cousin Aracelis Brown, 28, said in an interview after the hearing.
With Post wires
