It's Debate Week for the Democratic candidates, but South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a major hometown issue brewing that threatens to overshadow his national ambitions. Earlier this month, a white police officer in his city fatally shot a black man, prompting Buttigieg to leave the campaign trail to deal with the aftermath. On Sunday night, anger among black residents boiled over at a town hall meeting, with much of that anger directed at Buttigieg himself. Details:
- The town hall: The word "emotional" is common in coverage as Buttigieg and Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski addressed the crowd. One woman yelled they must get "racist" officers off the streets. A man yelled to Buttigieg, "You got to get back to South Carolina like you were yesterday?" per CNN. Another said: "How long before you take action? The people who are here angry and yelling and upset have asked this of you before." And maybe the most cutting slam of all: "We don't trust you!" per the Washington Post.
- Promises: Buttigieg said he'd ask the Department of Justice's civil rights division to investigate the shooting and will tell the local prosecutor that he wants an independent investigator, reports the AP. "The effort to recruit more minority officers to the police department and the effort to introduce body cameras have not succeeded and I accept responsibility for that," he said.