In Indiana, South Bend mayor and 2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is facing growing backlash from some of his constituents in the aftermath of the police shooting of Eric Logan, a black man, last week. Buttigieg has left the campaign trail to return to his hometown, where some residents called him out for neglecting his duties as mayor during a tense town hall Sunday. Frustrated citizens confronted the mayor about his track record on race-related issues and demanded transparency in Eric Logan’s case.
South Bend resident: “The Mayor Rahm Emanuel quit being the mayor because there was a cover-up. So I just want to make sure that you are aware that we’re looking for no cover-up. We want transparency, total transparency, in this case, because Eric Logan did not—my sympathy and condolences to Eric’s family—Eric Logan did not deserve to be treated like this.”
People of color make up 40% of South Bend’s population. Mayor Buttigieg acknowledged that efforts to diversify and increase accountability in the South Bend police force had failed, and it was less diverse than when he came into office eight years ago. He has called for a Justice Department investigation into the shooting. The police officer was wearing a body cam, but it was not turned on.