Claremont Vigil One Year After Shooting Draws 200

Some 200 people gathered at Claremont City Hall on Tuesday night, clutching votive candles and singing in memory of a young black motorist who was shot by police on Jan. 11 last year.

Relatives of Irvin Landrum Jr., who have been protesting the shooting and the city’s handling of the incident, said the heavy turnout of mostly white Claremont residents, from retirees to college students, was a heartening show of support.

Inside City Hall, where race issues have become a major topic of debate, the council discussed forming a committee with the theme “Making inclusiveness a reality in Claremont.” Some citizens commended the idea. Others said the council members were simply avoiding complaints about them and City Manager Glenn Southard.

Southard sparked an outcry when he released the criminal record of one protest organizer, and named the two officers involved in the shooting employees of the year.

Council members did not discuss what occurred in a closed session the night before, during which they assessed Southard’s recent job performance and relationship with the council. Some residents have called for him to be fired. Another man defended the city manager, telling the council Southard was simply supporting the two officers, who claim to have shot Landrum in self-defense.

“He’s probably the only one who has the guts to do what the rest of the community ought to do,” the resident said.