After white cop kills black suspect, Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg tries to navigate fallout in South Bend
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - In the aftermath of a white police officer fatally shooting a black suspect in South Bend, a mostly African American crowd of family members, pastors and politicians gathered at a street-side vigil to voice anger over the killing, question its circumstances and emphasize their distrust of the police.
One key leader wasn't there to hear their grievances: Mayor Pete Buttigieg. The rising, 37-year-old Democrat had suspended his presidential campaign to return home, but mostly remained out of public view for three days.
When he resurfaced, it was to deliver a speech telling six newly sworn police officers that they carry the "burden" of past racial injustice between police and minorities.
"We've spent years working to build trust between city leaders, public safety officers and members of the community we are charged to serve," Buttigieg told the officers Wednesday. "Today, those same relationships we've worked so hard to build are in jeopardy. It's a reminder to all of us how fragile our work can be."
A few hours later, the mayor appeared at a civil rights center flanked by the local NAACP chapter president and supportive African American leaders, saying the work to help the city heal could begin even as the "process" into investigating what happened plays out.
The two events illustrate the delicate balance Buttigieg is trying to strike in the most marked challenge of his presidential
