Philadelphia city council bans tear gas amid unrest over police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.

The city council in Philadelphia has voted to ban tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray amid unrest sparked by the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man killed by police officers earlier this week.

The bill, which passed Thursday 14-3, prohibits law enforcement in Philadelphia from using “less than lethal force” on protesters exercising their First Amendment right. It comes after days of protests over the shooting death of Wallace, who was suffering a mental breakdown at the time, according to family

Officers with the Philadelphia police department were responding to reports of a person with a weapon when they shot and killed the aspiring rapper Monday afternoon. Police said he was wielding a knife and ignored officers' orders before they opened fire.

Wallace’s parents have since said their son was in a mental health crisis and that authorities should have been aware as they were called to the home multiple times that day before the fatal encounter.

The bill was initially introduced in May, after protesters took to the streets demanding justice for George Floyd. He died in Minneapolis after an officer knelt down on his neck for an extended period of time while other police watched.

Cellphone video shared online just days later ignited a global campaign, not only demanding justice for Floyd but an end to the systemic racism that lead to his death.

“We chose a public process of listening, of truth telling, of accountability, driven by the voices and experiences of the people we serve,” said Council member Helen Gym told ABC 6.

"In banning the police use of less lethal munitions in response to demonstrations, we are answering the calls of our constituents. This is a moment where repairing trust between our residents, public officials, and police is essential. Residential neighborhoods are not warzones.