Police arrest Philly rapper Skrilla during a music video shoot last weekend (Credit: @NoJumper on Instagram)
When Jon McCann, known to his followers as the Philly Captain, drove down to Kensington and Allegheny on Saturday night, he expected to document another slice of Philadelphia street life. What he captured instead was a moment that revealed unexpected character and compassion at the center of a viral arrest.
Rapper Jemille Edwards, better known as "Skrilla," was arrested and charged with assault on police after allegedly shooting an officer with gel pellets from a toy gun during a music video shoot. But according to McCann, who filmed the entire incident, the story is more nuanced than the charges suggest.
"The vibes were extremely positive," McCann recalls of the scene outside what used to be the Players Club. "Like it felt like a really happy place. And usually when I go down to Kensington and Allegheny, it's not that way. It's a very sad, scary place. But it felt like a cool place to be."
As a content creator who documents Philadelphia's urban landscape, McCann was intrigued by this rare moment of celebration in a typically troubled area.
The scene that unfolded included 50 to 75 people gathered for the video, with about 20 to 30 police officers managing traffic flow. Kids on bikes were popping wheelies, people were dancing in the street, and two young teenagers—around 14 years old—were playing with an Orbeez gun, shooting the harmless gel pellets around the crowd.
"They shot me with it and I didn't even really feel it," McCann said. "It felt like more like a puff of air. I just thought they were being goofball kids."
The officers clearly saw the toy gun, McCann observed, watching the kids play with it for about 20 minutes before the incident. When Skrilla eventually took the toy and fired it at an officer—striking him three times in the face, neck, and chest—McCann believes it was meant as harmless play, not malice.
"It wasn't malice, he was joking around, but I guess there's some things you can't do," McCann told FOX 29.
What impressed McCann most wasn't the arrest itself, but how Skrilla handled it. Despite being a successful artist with millions of YouTube views who had recently sold out shows, Edwards showed no ego when police placed him in handcuffs.
"His reaction was no reaction," McCann observed. "He didn't yell, he didn't put up a fight, he didn't argue."
Even more striking was what happened next. When the toy gun's young owner began cursing at police, demanding his $50 Orbeez gun back, the situation threatened to escalate. But Skrilla, already in custody, intervened.
"The cops said, 'Hey, can you tell this kid to calm down?'" McCann recounted. "And Skrilla, who was in police custody in handcuffs, tells the kid, 'Yo, calm down. It's not worth it.' He definitely stopped that one kid from getting arrested."
For McCann, this moment revealed something profound about character under pressure. Here was an artist facing serious charges, yet still taking responsibility for keeping others safe.
"He was very compassionate to everyone," McCann reflected. Skrilla was respectful to all those who came to watch- people who were addicted to drugs, or highly intoxicated—he was very down to earth and very nice to the people on Allegheny Avenue. “For being a successful musician, it moved me so much I felt the need to tell you that."
The incident, captured in McCann's 12-minute YouTube video, offers a complex portrait of an arrest that transcends simple headlines. While Edwards faces legal consequences for his actions, McCann's eyewitness account suggests the real story may be about grace under pressure in one of Philadelphia's most challenging neighborhoods.
Edwards was taken into custody without incident, with officers recovering the toy gun loaded with multiple gel pellets. But for some those who witnessed it, the lasting impression wasn't of the arrest—it was of a man who chose calm over chaos when it mattered most.
