South Bend, Indiana’s police union on Monday accused Mayor Pete Buttigieg of using the recent police shooting of a black man to score political points for his 2020 presidential campaign.
The South Bend Fraternal Order of Police issued a scathing statement saying Mr. Buttigieg is “driving a wedge” between law enforcement officers and the “community they took an oath to serve.”
The union said it “stands firm” with Sgt. Ryan O’Neill, who fatally shot 54-year-old Eric Jack Logan on June 16, until an investigation into the shooting is completed.
Mr. Buttigieg virtually put his campaign on hold to address the shooting in South Bend, facing a contentious town hall meeting on Sunday where he was heckled and repeatedly shouted down by angry residents who claimed the city hasn’t done enough to protect black people. The next day, Mr. Buttigieg sent out a campaign email that claimed, “all police work and all of American life takes place in the shadow of racism, which hurts everyone and everything it touches.”
The police union said the mayor’s comments “have already and will continue to have a detrimental effect on local law enforcement offices and law enforcement officers nationwide.”
“Mayor Buttigieg’s focus on this incident is solely for his political gain and not the health of the city he serves,” the union’s statement read. “Mayor Buttigieg has in no way unified the community.
“In a short time, Mayor Buttigieg will no longer be the leader of this great city,” it continued. “However, the South Bend Police Department and the residents of South Bend will still be here. If we are to grow and change for the better, it will require us to set political agendas aside and simply come together.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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