WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama, speaking in unusually personal terms, weighed in on the recent killing of an unarmed black teenager, a rare moment of engagement by the president on a racially charged issue.
Thousands gathered in Washington D.C. to call for an arrest in the shooting death of a black Florida teenager. (Video: Reuters/Photo: AP)
Mr. Obama, speaking for the first time about the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, said he welcomed federal and state investigations into the shooting. Mr. Martin was shot last month in the Orlando, Fla., suburb of Sanford, by a neighborhood-watch volunteer.
"When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids," the president said Friday, responding to a question. "You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."
President Barack Obama on Friday called for a full investigation into the shooting of an unarmed African-American teenager in Florida, saying the U.S. needs to do some "soul searching" to determine what led to his death. Emily Steel has more on Mean Street. Photo: Reuters.
The killing has sparked protests in Florida and elsewhere, in part because the volunteer, who has said he was acting in self-defense, hasn't been arrested. The teen wasn't armed.
"I can only imagine what these parents are going through," Mr. Obama said in the Rose Garden. "I think all of us have to do some soul-searching to figure out how does something like this happen."
Enlarge Image
Ifeoma Ike, a House Judiciary Committee worker, joins others in a 'Hoodies on the Hill' event on Capitol Hill Friday.
On Friday, students at several South Florida high schools staged walkouts and appealed for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old man who shot the teenager. Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade posted a photo of himself wearing a hooded sweatshirt on his Twitter and Facebook pages—a reference to the fact that the victim was wearing a "hoodie" when he was killed.
Mr. Obama's comments on Friday propelled attention on the case, which had already grown to become a national issue.
After Mr. Obama's remarks, leading Republicans, including the party's presidential candidates, also spoke out about the killing. Friday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's top Republican, called the shooting "an incredible tragedy of huge proportions." GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney called for a thorough investigation and said flatly, "This shouldn't have happened."
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, another presidential candidate, went so far as to say the police were wrong not to arrest the alleged shooter and that law enforcement had made "horrible decisions" in handling the case.
Photos: Crowds Rally for Trayvon Martin
View Slideshow
Lakesha Hall, center, and her son, Calvin Simms, 12, right, attended a rally for Trayvon Martin at Fort Mellon Park in Sanford, Fla., Thursday.
The commentary Friday came as a stark contrast to the backlash Mr. Obama faced in 2009 when he sparked controversy by talking about another racially charged police incident, saying that the police officer who mistakenly arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. had acted "stupidly."
Mr. Obama later backtracked and said his comments were poorly chosen. The incident culminated with a "beer summit" in the Rose Garden between the president and the parties involved.
The Martin case is under investigation by the Justice Department. On Thursday, Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott appointed a special prosecutor to take over the investigation from the Seminole County state attorney, who previously announced a grand jury would be convened April 10. Mr. Scott also announced the formation of a task force to review Florida's 2005 "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows citizens to respond with deadly force in the case of an attack, and which local police relied upon in handling this case.
Efforts to reach Mr. Zimmerman for comment were unsuccessful. In a recent letter to the Orlando Sentinel, his father wrote that his son was Hispanic and had black family members and friends. He also said: "At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin."
According to 911-call records, Mr. Zimmerman had been asked by a dispatcher if he was following the youth, and Mr. Zimmerman responded yes. The 911 dispatcher responded in return that Mr. Zimmerman didn't need to do that.
Enlarge Image
President Obama speaks for the first time about the killing.
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on the case, calling it a "local law enforcement matter." Friday, he said the president had prepared for the question in case he was asked in media interviews.
Mr. Obama often ignores shouted questions asked at unrelated announcements, but chose to respond this time. Exactly why he did, White House officials didn't make clear, beyond saying he was moved as a parent.
The criticism of Mr. Obama over the Gates incident was driven in part by outrage from police officers and supporters. James Preston, president of the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, a police union, remembers being upset with the president's comments at the time.
Friday, he said he found himself in rare agreement with Mr. Obama's take on the situation.
Related Video
No comments:
Post a Comment