South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg commented Wednesday on the Sunday morning police shooting of Eric Logan. This was his first public appearance since a press conference Sunday night. The mayor and presidential candidate has been having behind-the scenes discussions with community leaders.
Buttigieg took the opportunity to address new South Bend police officers at a swearing-in ceremony. He urged them to act with restraint and equity and specifically acknowledged the aftermath of the shooting as being a "remarkable period" for them to join the force. He says they must remember the context of policing and race issues across the nation.
“We cannot pretend that this is unrelated to race and racism,” he says. “This fact burdens everyone, all of us, no matter who we are.”
After the ceremony, Buttigieg told media he is "extremely frustrated" there is no body or dashboard camera footage of the incident.
“Even a body camera doesn’t solve everything, but it is supposed to provide crucial evidence,” he says. “It defeats the purpose of that system if it is not activated.
City Council members, family and community say they are frustrated that Buttigieg was not present at a vigil for Logan or other gatherings since the shooting. They are working to plan a rally for the weekend.
