Pubdate: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 Source: Courier-Journal, The (KY) Copyright: 2004 The Courier-Journal Contact: http://www.courier-journal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97 Author: Gregory A. Hall and Matt Batcheldor Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/michael+newby Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/racial.htm (Racial Issues) DAY OF FRUSTRATION AND PAIN Vigil, Forum Held; Ministers Chide Mayor Residents and community activists held a vigil and forum yesterday to vent their frustration over the Jan. 3 shooting of a 19-year-old black man by a Louisville Metro Police officer, while metro officials again asked for patience. Nearly 100 participants gathered for a candlelight vigil last night at the site where Michael Newby was fatally shot in the back by Officer McKenzie Mattingly during an alleged undercover drug buy. Hours earlier, the Rev. Louis Coleman promised to enlist parents to help keep the peace during a prayer vigil and protest planned for 2:30 p.m. today at police headquarters, hoping to avoid the violence that broke out at a similar protest Thursday and ended in four arrests. And yesterday morning, a group of African-American ministers released a statement criticizing Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson for failing to provide leadership to frustrated western Louisville residents, as police Chief Robert White met again with community members to bridge the gap he says is dividing police and residents. Newby was the second man, and first African American, fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police since the city and county police departments merged Jan. 3, 2003. He was the seventh African-American man to be shot and killed by police in Louisville in the past five years. Yesterday's events began with a forum sponsored by the African Methodist Episcopal Ministerial Alliance at Quinn Chapel AME church, 1901 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. There, White brought several black officers with him to talk to more than 60 residents. White said the criminal and administrative investigations his department is conducting into the shooting need to be allowed to run their course. "You have my word as your police chief, you have my word as a parent, that we're going to ferret out the facts," he said. "... I am going to do what is right." Questions for White at the forum covered details of the shooting, police-community relations and Thursday night's protest - a peaceful rally that turned into a melee. Protester Nancy Jakubiak asked White why he hadn't come out of his office to meet with protesters sooner, saying the violence might have been averted. White's failure to come out sooner sends a message that people have to get violent to get the chief's attention, she said. White said he hadn't been invited to the protest. "It wasn't my position to do that," he said. "Ultimately, once things got out of hand, I did make the decision to come down, to monitor what was happening and agreed at some point in an effort to try to defuse the incident." Jackie Paynter, Newby's cousin, asked why police waited for a shooting to implement cultural diversity and cultural identification training. White said that training was in place before he became chief last year. But he said he is trying to enhance that training. "What I have learned from my first year here, the culture of our police department to some extent is different than the culture of the community, and the two have to become one," he said, adding that in the past year, systems have been put in place to do that. "We have issues on our police department, that is quite apparent. I am not blind to that," White said. Sgt. Yvette Gentry, who came with White, spoke through tears, disputing claims made by some people that Louisville police do not care about black men. "That's just ridiculous to me," she said. "... I'm the daughter of a black man, the mother of black men. It's not an us-against-them thing." After the forum, Gentry said she agrees that there are culture problems on the police force. "It's not necessarily just a racial thing. Some people just don't know how to talk to other people in a respectful manner," she said. "But I think something that's overlooked is we don't get very much respect either. ... I think sometimes that's overlooked, especially by the younger generation. They feel like they can do whatever and say whatever and we're not ever supposed to respond. We're human beings." After the forum, Helen Swain, Newby's aunt, went over and spoke with the black officers, who were sitting together. In an interview afterward, Swain said she told the officers not to be discouraged and to do their jobs. The forum prompted eight pastors of African Methodist Episcopal churches and the denomination's local elder to release a five-paragraph statement saying they expect Abramson and Metro Council members to do more in response to the shooting. Much of the criticism was aimed at Abramson. "The absence of the mayor's leadership and significant contact with the taxpaying citizens of western Louisville is troubling to say the least and leaves him looking indifferent, disengaged and unconcerned," the statement said. "You even failed to send a representative to represent you and the city at the funeral of the slain young man." The statement also called on Abramson to "open a broader dialogue" with a cross-section of people on the issues of police conduct, community safety and economic justice. In a telephone interview, Abramson said White is at the forefront on the issue. "The chief is the point person based on his knowledge of the ongoing police investigation, and I think he's the best person able at this point to address questions regarding the investigation," Abramson said. Abramson said he's discussed the shooting informally with citizens he's come across wherever he's gone in the last week and hasn't been able to tell them more than what he has said in statements and news conferences. He said he and White have many of the same questions as citizens. "The way to arrive at those answers in my judgment is to ... conduct a comprehensive and fair investigation as quickly as possible," he said. "I'm just asking folks to be patient." Abramson spokesman Jay Blanton said a representative was not sent to the funeral because the administration did not want to do anything to detract from the time for family and friends to mourn. Yesterday afternoon, Coleman reiterated that civil rights activists' weekly Sunday protests would continue today, as they have the past 57 Sundays since police fatally shot James Edward Taylor, a black man, in the Smoketown neighborhood in December 2002. Taylor, though handcuffed, had a box-cutter knife and was under the influence of drugs, tests showed. Coleman said one of the reasons violence broke out Thursday outside police headquarters was that mounted police used too much force to disperse the crowd. He said the parents he recruited would help move people out of the streets if necessary and avoid confrontations. Metro police wouldn't discuss their tactics for handling today's protest, but they promised to uphold the law if violence erupts. "We are anticipating a peaceful rally. ... We welcome anyone who is willing to help keep that peace," Officer Dwight Mitchell, a police spokesman, said. Hours later, ministers, neighbors and relatives - including the husband of Newby's mother - took part in a candlelight vigil in the parking lot in the 4600 block of West Market Street where Newby died and stressed nonviolence for today's protest. "Yes, we're angry," Jerry Bouggess said. But, he added, people should disperse when the allotted time for a protest is over. "Nonviolent!" he shouted, and the crowd followed in refrain. Bouggess also advised people not to give police a reason to make arrests. The Rev. Tim Duncan was one of four people arrested Thursday. He was charged with hitting a police horse, but denied that allegation last night. "Supposedly hit a horse and you get a night in jail," he said. "Kill a black man and you get a paid vacation." Mattingly has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation of the shooting. After the vigil ended with a hymn, participants said its message would only reach police if the protests continue. "It's senseless killing," said William Bouggess, one of Newby's uncles. He suggested the mayor and White hold a forum with black leaders and televise it to prove their good faith to the community. Another uncle, Jeff Mitchell Sr., said of White: "He seems like a he's been a fair guy. He just keeps being put in bad situations." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin