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Philadelphia sets citywide curfew to quell unrest

Philadelphia officials imposed a citywide after-dark curfew on Wednesday (October 28) an attempt to head off a third night of violence.

Protests have gripped the city sparked by the fatal police shooting of a black man named Walter Wallace Jr.

Residents earlier in the day cleaned up the mess after looters had raided chain stores the night before.

Later in the evening streets were tense, laundomat owner Kevin Phang was one of the shops boarding up, hoping to avoid looting:

"Just boarding up we got hit last night...I mean it really sucks. Because you know this is our only location. We're not a big corporation where we lost a store, it's fine, the next day we'll still make money. For small businesses, it really sucks."

After the 9pm curfew passed, calm seemed to prevail.

Protesters have decried the killing of Wallace as the latest instance of racially biased policing in the United States.

Wallace was gunned down on Monday (October 26) by two police officers responding to what his relatives say was a call for assistance with a mental health crisis.

Video taken by an onlooker showed the officers drawing guns after orderng Wallace to drop a knife.

Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground in the election, but it remains to be seen how events in Philadelphia, a predominantly Black and Hispanic city and Democratic stronghold, might affect polls in the state.