BREAKING: Massive police response to looting in Philadelphia

A massive police response has been triggered in Philadelphia’s Center City in reaction to looting at multiple stores.

Videos on social media showed what appeared to be juveniles ransacking the Apple Store, Lululemon, and Footlocker near 17th and Walnut Streets.

Hugh E Dillon reported on X, formerly known as Twitter, "The police are doing an incredible effort on bikes and in cars corralling the kids blocked by Block. They are pulling cars over a lot of kids are in cars. They stop and a whole bunch of them get out and then they start trying to break in the stores. But the police are on top of it."

Other users reported more looting breaking out in other parts of the city.

According to FOX 29, the looting was in response to a ruling earlier in the day by a Philadelphia judge who dismissed charges against Mark Dial, a former police officer, who was facing first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop Aug. 14 in the city’s Kensington neighborhood.

Police body camera footage shown at the hearing in a packed courtroom revealed Irizarry holding a knife as police approached his vehicle during the traffic stop after he had been pulled over after a pursuit following his erratic driving.

Dial's attorneys argued that the former officer acted in self-defense when he fired his weapon.

This is a developing story.