A VERY rattled Mayor Pete Buttigieg is branded a ‘traitor’ and heckled during fiery town hall meeting the Democrat presidential candidate called after a black man was shot dead by police in South Bend
- South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg was heckled during a town hall on Sunday
- The hecklers called the 2020 Democratic hopeful he is a ‘traitor’ for siding with the South Bend police
- An officer shot and killed a 54-year-old black man last weekend when responding to a call on vehicle break-ins
- Buttigieg has taken a break from the campaign trail to address his constituents over the violence between police and the black community
- He convened a town hall to talk about the event and how he was responding to it
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic hopeful, was heckled during a town hall meeting he convened on Sunday to address constituents concerns over rising tensions between the community and South Bend, Indiana Police Department.
The heckler called Buttigieg a ‘traitor’ during the live broadcast event, which was held exactly a week after a 54-year-old black man was shot and killed by a police officer in South Bend.
The officer did not turn on his body camera before shooting the man, a move that has lead to even more controversy surrounding the incident.
Many have shown frustration toward Buttigieg for not taking immediate action, and have even gone as far to accuse him of siding with the police.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a town hall with South Bend, Indiana Police chief following a fatal shooting where an officer shot a black man
A heckler at the town hall event called Buttigieg a ‘traitor.’ Many have accused Buttigieg for taking the side of police rather than the black community
The government’s website says the event was meant to ‘outline the process for officer-involved shooting investigations and hearings before the Board of Public Safety.’
Buttigieg has temporarily halted all campaign-related appearances – missing high profile events in New York, Hollywood and South Carolina – to address the unrest in the town where he is mayor and speak with his constituents.
During the town hall, he called the fallout between the community and police department ‘very challenging.’
At 37-years-old, Buttigieg is the youngest candidate of the 24 running in the Democratic primary.
The heckler incident – and town hall – comes in response to last weekend when a police officer shot and killed a 54-year-old black man while responding to a call about vehicle break-ins
Friday night, he participated in a march in front of police headquarters with over 100 frustrated demonstrators, including the mother and brother of Eric Logan, the man who was shot and killed by Sgt. Ryan O’Neill when responding to reports of vehicle break ins.
According to the South Bend Tribune, one protester suggested no black people would vote for Buttigieg.
‘You’re running for president and you want black people to vote for you? That’s not going to happen,’ the demonstrator said.
Buttigieg held the town hall at Washington High School in South Bend alongside Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski. It was moderated by NAACP South Bend Chapter President Michael Patton.