Pete Buttigieg faces South Bend protesters: "You want black people to vote for you — that's not going to happen"
2020 Democratic hopeful and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg told protesters in his city on Friday that there will be a review of the police department after a white officer shot and killed a black man without his bodycam on. "I'm not asking for your vote," Buttigieg told one protester, who responded "you're not going to get it."
The protester told Buttigieg "You are truly running for president and you want black people to vote for you. You [are] running for president and you want black people to vote for you — that's not going to happen. That's not going to happen. That's not going to happen."
"I'm not asking for your vote," Buttigieg responded. "I will promise that there will be a review to make sure that there is no racism on this department and that it will be independent."
South Bend has been shaken by the shooting, and Buttigieg has spent much of the week off the campaign trail and in the city. He arrived in South Carolina to campaign on Saturday but he announced he would return for a town hall in South Bend on Sunday.
On Saturday, Eric Logan, a 53-year-old black man, was shot and killed by South Bend Police Sgt. Ryan O'Neill.
Prosecutors say O'Neill was responding to a report of a person breaking into cars when he encountered Logan in an apartment building parking lot. O'Neill told authorities that Logan had a knife, and when he refused the officer's orders to drop it, O'Neill opened fire, shooting Logan in the stomach. Another officer took Logan in a squad car to the hospital, where he later died.
O'Neill's body camera was reportedly never activated because he had failed to turn on his squad car's emergency sirens. The camera, sirens and dashboard camera are part of an inter-connected system.
Earlier this week, Buttigieg said he would reaffirm the South Bend Police Department's policy on body cameras. He left the campaign trail for part of the week to handle the situation in South Bend, and canceled plans to attend South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn's annual fish fry.
Buttigieg said Friday "I do not have evidence that there has been discipline for racist behavior."
Another protester asked Buttigieg "Do you believe that black lives matter?" Buttigieg responded "Did you just ask me if black lives matter? Of course black lives matter."
A protester asked Buttigieg to be the first person to sign a petition urging the Department of Justice to investigate the shooting. Buttigieg said he couldn't sign it, however, and claimed it had information that would prejudice the investigation. Buttigieg said he would sign "a clean petition."
On Saturday, Buttigieg returned to the campaign trail to speak at the South Carolina Democratic Convention, which included a large crowd of black voters. He said his city will be "become stronger in the broken places."
Jack Turman contributed reporting.
