Trump: I’m ‘very, very troubled’ by Tulsa shooting
CLEVELAND — Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was “very, very troubled” by last week’s fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer in Tulsa, Okla., calling it a “terrible” situation and suggesting cops should be “more careful” or not be on the force.
Speaking to several dozen pastors at an African-American church here, the Republican presidential nominee said he was bothered by the latest round of officer-involved shootings in both Tulsa and Charlotte, N.C., where violent protests erupted in the aftermath of a police shooting late Tuesday.
But during a question-and-answer session, Trump said he was troubled “in particular” by the Tulsa shooting, in which Terence Crutcher was shot dead by a police officer on the side of the highway. The officer who fired the fatal shots said she believed Crutcher, who was unarmed, was behaving strangely and reaching for a gun, the officer’s attorney said.
Trump said he had watched the video of the Tulsa shooting, which was released by authorities Monday. Describing himself as a “tremendous believer” in law enforcement, the celebrity businessman said he still couldn’t make sense of what had happened.
“That man was hands up. That man went to the car, hands up. To me, it looked like he did everything you’re supposed to do,” Trump said. “He looked like a really good man.”
“This young officer, I don’t know what she was thinking,” he continued. “I am very, very troubled by that. And we have to be very careful. … Did she get scared? Was she choking? People that do that can’t be doing what they are doing.”
Trump’s comments came against the backdrop of another outreach event aimed at African-American voters but also designed to soften his image among swing voters, including white women.
Speaking after a series of surrogates, including boxing promoter Don King, Trump took the pulpit and made a direct appeal to black voters, presenting himself as the candidate who can restore and rebuild inner cities.
And though he has been criticized for divisive remarks against minorities and immigrants, Trump cast himself as a transformative figure, suggesting he wants to remake the Republican Party to be more inclusive to minority voters. Echoing remarks he made at a black church in Detroit earlier this month, Trump said he wants to pursue a “civil rights agenda” that would make America better for everybody, including black Americans skeptical of his candidacy.
“I fully understand that the African-American community has suffered from discrimination, and many wrongs must be made right,” Trump said.
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