Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 18 June 2019
Buttigieg goes home to South Bend after man killed by police
By TOM DAVIES and SARA
BURNETT
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The
fatal shooting of a black
man by a police officer
in the Indiana city where
Pete Buttigieg is mayor
presents both political peril
for a presidential candi-
date who has struggled to
connect with minority vot-
ers and an opportunity to
show leadership on issues
of race and policing that
are critical — and personal
— for much of the Demo-
cratic primary electorate.
Buttigieg on Monday can-
celed several days of cam-
paign events after return-
ing to South Bend, where
he spent the day meeting
with community members
and faith leaders following
the shooting of 54-year-old Eric Jack Logan.
earlier in his time as mayor
and that he heard from the
black community that he
needed to be more open
and transparent.
“One of the reasons we’re
communicating up front
right now is because of les-
sons learned from members
of the community,” he said.
Logan’s wife, Shafonia Lo-
gan, told reporters after
meeting with the police
chief Sunday night that she
had many questions about
what happened to her hus-
band of 13 years. She said
her husband called her
early Sunday asking her to
pick him up, as he was out
with friends, but she was in
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, center, speaks during a news conference, Sunday, June 16, bed, and he replied that he
2019, in South Bend, Ind., as South Bend Common Council President Tim Scott, left, and South Bend would walk to his mother’s
Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski, listen. house a few minutes away.
Associated Press “I don’t know what hap-
Logan died after he was presidential campaign trip. pened or what they say
shot once in the abdomen “I know that whenever an — he was breaking into a
from the front by a white incident like this happens, car?” she said. “Was that
officer who responded to there is tremendous hurt justified for him to shoot
a call about a suspicious that can come about. That and kill him about break-
person going through cars the city will be hurting.” ing in a car?” Shafonia
about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, St. Asked by a reporter how Logan said that she never
Joseph County Prosecutor the shooting might affect knew her husband to carry
Ken Cotter said Monday. his presidential bid, But- a knife or a gun and that
Sgt. Ryan O’Neill spotted tigieg declined to answer, he was afraid of police of-
the man, later identified as saying, “Right now I’m here ficers. She also questioned
Logan, leaning inside a car, as mayor.” why her husband was tak-
Cotter said. When O’Neill The white mayor has had a en to a hospital in a police
confronted him, Logan al- sometimes-tense relation- car rather than in an ambu-
legedly approached the ship with the black com- lance. Logan was released
officer with a 6 to 8-inch munity dating back to his from prison in June 2018
long knife raised over his first term in office, when he after serving a sentence for
head. That’s when Cotter fired the city’s first black a 2009 St. Joseph County
said the officer fired twice, police chief. He has also conviction on three felony
with the other shot hitting faced criticism for his han- counts of dealing cocaine
a car door. In a matter of dling of police misconduct or narcotics, according
months, Buttigieg has gone cases, including a case to Indiana Department of
from a relatively obscure involving an officer who Correction records. He had
37-year-old mayor to the was twice disciplined for other convictions since
top tier of a crowded Dem- civil rights violations but not 1988 on drug possession
ocratic presidential field. fired, and for not having and handgun violation
His handling of the shoot- a police department that charges.
ing could test his ability to reflects South Bend’s di- Cotter said no police video
navigate the demands of versity. Roughly 40% of the exists of the confrontation
the campaign trail while still city’s residents are black or as the officer’s dash and
performing his day job. Hispanic; the department is body cameras weren’t
“I did consider it important almost 90% white. automatically activated
to be here to have these Buttigieg said Sunday that because he was driving
conversations,” Buttigieg he was sometimes hesi- slowly without his emergen-
said in South Bend on Sun- tant to speak publicly after cy lights on while looking
day after cutting short a shootings involving police through a parking lot.q