Groups of teenagers swarmed into stores in several areas of Philadelphia in an apparently coordinated effort, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, authorities said. Police arrested 15 to 20 people.
The flash mob-style ransacking Tuesday night at stores including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple came after a peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window.
Those doing the ransacking were not affiliated with the protest, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference, calling the group “a bunch of criminal opportunists.”
Video on social media showed masked people in hoodies running out of Lululemon with merchandise and police officers grabbing several and tackling them to the sidewalk. Photos of a sporting goods store at a mall showed mannequins and sneakers scattered on the sidewalk.
The thefts and unrest stretched from downtown to Northeast and West Philadelphia, leaving smashed display windows and broken storefront coverings.
“This destructive and illegal behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in our city,” Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, said on social media, calling it a “sickening display of opportunistic criminal activity.”
His administration is working with police to assess “which areas of the city may need increased coverage or additional resources,” he said.
Read More
Associated Press Rating
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
