Critics of Shooting to Continue Protests

Despite an apology from Claremont officials for showing insensitivity in their handling of a police shooting last year, protesters said they would continue to push for the recall of two elected leaders and stage a rally today at City Hall.

Recall proponents said they considered the city’s apology this week a political maneuver that fell short of explaining exactly what the council and city manager did wrong in the year since Irvin Landrum Jr. was shot by two officers during a traffic stop.

“I can’t tell what they’re apologizing for,” said Greg Tolliver, a Claremont businessman. “They’re deep in trouble and attempting to allay anger.”

Yet others commended the council for making the apology, which was read to a standing-room-only special council meeting Monday.

“The council is realizing they must take moral leadership in the city, and it’s their responsibility,” said Butch Henderson, senior pastor of Claremont United Church of Christ. “I don’t think it’s too little, too late.”

Since Landrum was shot Jan. 11, 1999, city officials have rallied behind the two patrolmen. Officers Hany Hanna and Kent Jacks have told investigators that the 18-year-old black motorist pulled a gun and fired at them.

But a subsequent sheriff’s report showed the gun was not fired that night, bore no fingerprints and was last owned by the deceased police chief of Ontario. Landrum’s family members have suggested that the gun was planted. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating potential civil rights violations, although the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has concluded that the shooting was justified.

In reaction to public criticism, City Manager Glenn Southard has seemingly taken the offensive, releasing the criminal record of Landrum’s uncle, and later naming the two officers as city employees of the year. Those actions drew the ire of some who had been watching the controversy from the sidelines.

Last month, a recall effort was launched against Mayor Karen Rosenthall and Councilman Algird Leiga, who publicly supported Southard’s actions.

More than 100 residents of Pilgrim Place, a retirement community for clergy and other church officials, signed a letter accusing Southard of playing an inflammatory role and for decisions that “could be fairly construed as confrontational by African American citizens of Claremont.”

Thomas Ambrogi, a retired Jesuit priest who wrote the letter, said the employee awards really made him question whether the city--the traditionally liberal home of the Claremont Colleges--was all that progressive. On Tuesday, he said the apology shows that the city is trying to establish a dialogue and be more sensitive to the citizens’ concerns.

During the council meeting Monday morning, Councilman Paul Held read a statement to more than 100 people in the chambers.

“I am certain that we have a collective sense that our actions taken over the past four to six months have made a difficult situation worse,” he read. “Our lack of sensitivity has divided the community. . . . We should have made more considered choices. I regret and apologize for this insensitivity.”

Held then called for the council to start an ad hoc committee to work “with staff to evaluate city actions to be taken relative to sensitive issues such as the Landrum shooting.” It voted to do so.

Southard, the city manager, did not speak during the meeting and could not be reached for comment. Held on Tuesday said it wasn’t his purpose to lay blame on any city employee when making his statement at the meeting.

But Obee Landrum, Irvin’s uncle, said he wanted specific admissions of wrongdoing and apologies to those who had been offended or hurt by the city’s actions. It was his arrest record that Southard released.

“There’s no sincerity,” he said. “They really need to ‘fess up for what they did.”