Buttigieg responds to anger over South Bend violence: ‘We have not done enough’

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said on Monday that he has not done enough to create a more just system for people of color in South Bend, Ind., where he serves as mayor, amid a backlash from African Americans in the wake of a police shooting of a black man. 

Buttigieg said in a statement released by his 2020 campaign that his “heart was broken.”

“It was a painful but needed conversation,” Buttigieg said of a town hall late Sunday that grew increasingly heated as black residents questioned his handling of racism in the city’s police force. “And I feel overwhelmed and heartened by the number of people — supporters and critics — who have reached out and made it clear over the past week that they want to join hands and face these problems together.”

{mosads}The town hall was held a week after Eric Logan, a black man, was killed by a police sergeant. During the town hall, Buttigieg said he took responsibility for the incident. 

In Monday’s statement, he said the “many well-intentioned steps we have taken, locally and across the country, have not succeeded.”

“We have not done enough,” Buttigieg added. 

The backlash against Buttigieg’s response to the shooting and the distrust his constituents voiced at the town hall highlight his lack of popularity among black voters, a crucial roadblock in his quest for the party’s nomination in 2020. 

“I get why people are not satisfied. I’m not either. This is why as mayors we have the opportunity to change the national conversation,” Buttigieg said. 

He outlined a vision for a world in which no American responds to police sirens with fear, saying “we must bring about swift and deep change” without providing details. 

Buttigieg said he will be working with his team and community as he looks to create “bolder and more aggressive” actions.

Brandon Conradis contributed to this report, which was updated at 12:43 p.m.