If The D.A. Had Done His Job, Walter Wallace Jr. Would Still Be Alive

By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

At a press conference last week, District Attorney Larry Krasner claimed he was being transparent by releasing raw body cam video of the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. 

Krasner also apologized for what he described as the failure of government to protect Wallace, who, according to the Wallace family's lawyer, was suffering a mental health crisis when he was shot dead by the cops.

But Krasner is clearly manipulating what he said was a "devastating" tragedy for his own political purposes, as he pursues a criminal investigation of the two cops who shot Wallace 14 times. 

And the D.A. has been the opposite of transparent when it comes to discussing the failures of his own office to not only protect the Wallace family from Wallace's violent attacks, but also to protect Wallace from himself. 

The bottom line is that if Larry Krasner had done his job when Wallace was arrested for the 17th time on March 3rd, Walter Wallace Jr. would still be alive today. He'd be behind bars, but in jail, he could have sought treatment, as well as medication, for his mental illness. 

On March 3rd, Wallace was arrested because, according to court records, he threatened the mother of his children by saying, "I'll shoot you and that house up." 

At that time, police sources say, Walter Wallace Jr. had three outstanding protection orders filed against him by the mother of his children, as well as his own mother. Wallace was also still on probation after he was found guilty on Oct. 20, 2017, of robbery and possession of an instrument of crime, for which he was sentenced on Feb 2, 2018 to 11 1/2 to 23 months in jail, plus five years of probation. 

Wallace wound up only serving six months in jail for the robbery. But as a condition for being on probation, he was supposed to stay out of trouble, which he was unable to do.

Twice, after he was released, he was dragged back into court on outstanding bench warrants. Those warrants were issued on June 17, 2019 and Dec. 13, 2019, for alleged parole violations, after police arrested Wallace two more times. 

As a result of the bench warrants, on Jan. 7th of this year, Wallace had to be re-sentenced for the robbery conviction. He got a break. According to court records, the two bench warrants were lifted, and Wallace received no additional jail time. But the judge did reaffirm that Wallace was still on probation for five years.

When he was released on Jan. 7th, as a condition for staying out of jail, according to court records, Wallace was supposed to undergo mental health supervision, drug treatment assessment, and possible anger management counseling. Wallace also was supposed to stay out of trouble, but less than two months later, he threatened to shoot the mother of his children. 

When Wallace got arrested on March 3rd for allegedly making terroristic threats against the mother of his children, the D.A.'s office could have sought a detainer from a judge. A detainer would have kept Wallace in jail without bail until a hearing could be held regarding his most recent parole violation, as well as his violation of the three outstanding protection orders filed against him. 

But instead, Krasner's office did nothing. So Wallace, who had a rap sheet featuring 17 arrests, including repeated violent attacks on his mother, and the mother of his children, was allowed to walk out of jail after plunking down a paltry $1,000 deposit on $10,000 bail.

Meanwhile, his trial for making terroristic threats against the mother of his children, originally scheduled for April 3rd, was repeatedly postponed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The trial was rescheduled for July 10th, but the D.A.'s office requested a continuance because a witness was unavailable. 

A trial scheduled for Aug. 13th was also postponed. On Oct. 7th, a trial for Wallace was canceled. A new trial date was scheduled for Nov. 4th, but an order was granted for a continuance. So Wallace remained out on bail until he attacked his parents again, and was shot to death by the cops.

Wallace began his criminal career at age 13; by the time he was 27, he'd been arrested 17 times. But he always managed to get favorable treatment from the D.A.'s office, especially when Larry Krasner was in charge. Last year alone, the D.A.'s office under Krasner dropped a total of seven charges filed against Wallace after he was arrested two times.

On May 19, 2019, Wallace was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, and resisting arrest, but in a negotiated plea deal, those charges were withdrawn. As part of the negotiated plea bargain, Wallace pleaded guilty to giving false identification to law enforcement officers, but according to court records, he was given no further penalty.

On June 7, 2019, Wallace was arrested and charged with a half dozen offenses, including: aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, reckless endangerment, making terroristic threats and false imprisonment.

 On June 24, 2019, the charges of making terroristic threats and false imprisonment were dismissed in a lower court by Judge James DeLeon. The judge held the other four charges over for court. 

But on Oct. 25, 2019, when the case went to trial, the D.A. dropped all four remaining charges, including aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, and simple assault, against Wallace. According to police, Wallace had stabbed the mother of his children in the leg, but she declined to press charges. 

A more aggressive D.A.'s office could have subpoenaed the mother, put her on the witness stand, and asked her to describe what Wallace did to her. But Krasner's office preferred to drop the case.

Other highlights from Wallace's rap sheet:

-- On Oct. 20, 2017, Wallace was found not guilty of burglary, conspiracy, and criminal trespass; charges stemming from a Sept. 11, 2016 arrest. But he was found guilty of robbery, and received a prison sentence of 11 1/2 to 23 months, plus probation five years. During the robbery, according to the victim, Wallace allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck, and held a gun to her head.

He was also found guilty of possession of an instrument of crime, and assault. 

-- On Nov. 19, 2015, a charge of aggravated assault against Wallace was withdrawn. As part of a negotiated plea deal, he pled guilty to making terroristic threats, and was placed on probation for three years. As part of the deal, he pleaded guilty to simple assault, and got two years probation. Two other charges, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, were withdrawn.

-- On March 21, 2013, after a Feb. 14, 2013 arrest, charges against Wallace of possession of an instrument of crime and reckless endangerment were withdrawn. As part of a negotiated guilty plea, Wallace received two years probation for pleading guilty to simple assault. 

-- On May 21, 2013, after a Feb. 9, 2013 arrest,  Wallace entered a negotiated guilty plea for violation of an order or agreement, and assault, and was put on probation for six months. He also pleaded guilty to contempt and simple assault, and received a sentence of two years probation for contempt; and two years probation for simple assault. Charges of making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, and harassment, were withdrawn. 

-- During his Feb. 9, 2013 arrest, according to court records, Wallace was also charged with violating a protection order filed by his mother by throwing water in her face, punching her in the face, and threatening to shoot her, according to court records shown on air by reporter Mitch Blacher of NBC 10.

The last day Wallace was alive, a next-door neighbor and Wallace's sister called 911, frantically seeking help because Wallace was attacking his mother again, and his father, who had fainted. 

But as soon as the cops got there, Wallace came at them with a knife. Within a minute, despite being told ten times by the cops, who were in retreat, to drop the knife, Wallace kept pursuing them and he kept brandishing the knife. So the cops opened fire and killed him with 14 bullets.

It's interesting to note that while the D.A. was anxious to release the body cam footage of the shooting, we still haven't seen a toxicology report on the victim yet.

A toxicology report would reveal any possible drugs that might have been in Wallace's system the day he threatened his own mother and father, as well as the cops, with a knife.

Hey Mr. D.A., is the reason you're not releasing that toxicology report because it might detract from the story line you and the Inquirer have been peddling? You know the ballad of Walter Wallace Jr., the family man with 9 kids and aspiring rapper, who was the latest victim of systemic police racism?

We have no answers because as usual, Krasner, and his spokesperson, Jane Roh, have declined to comment on the culpability of their office in Wallace's death. Krasner and Roh also didn't respond to a query about whatever happened with that toxicology report.

And since no other media outlet has the integrity to ask Krasner those same questions, they will remain unanswered. 

Meanwhile, you'd think that after he held his press conference last week, Larry Krasner would be through grandstanding for a while over the death of Walter Wallace Jr.

But you'd be wrong. On Saturday, Krsaner showed up at Wallace's funeral service at the National Temple Baptist Church in North Philadelphia and gave a speech. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the D.A. thanked the Wallace family for their efforts to keep peace in the city.

"Philadelphia owes you a lot," Krasner told the family.

"Yes, they do," somebody in the church responded as the congregation erupted in applause.

As far as Krasner the former criminal defense lawyer is concerned, what Philadelphia apparently owes the Wallace family is a big fat wrongful death settlement when the family finally gets around to suing the city. 

As far as Krasner the cop-hater is concerned, when it comes to those two cops who shot Wallace, apparently the city also owes the Wallace family an indictment for murder.

So much for any impartial investigation of that officer-involved shooting by the Philadelphia D.A.'s office.

 

With Larry Krasner in charge, the fix is already in.