Police line streets of Benton Harbor after nights of riotsResidents outraged by deadly police chaseWednesday, June 18, 2003 Posted: 8:57 PM EDT (0057 GMT)State and local police make their presence felt Wednesday in Benton Harbor, Michigan. ——————————————————————————–Story Tools——————————————————————————–RELATED Interactive: Benton Harbor riots Map: Benton Harbor, Michigan ——————————————————————————–CNN Access: Mayor: Police relationship unkind to citizens VIDEO Bullets, fire and rage on the streets of Benton Harbor, Michigan. WSBT reporter Jennifer Kuk is on the scene (June 18)PLAY VIDEO BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) — As many as 300 officers from the Michigan State Police and surrounding jurisdictions moved onto the streets of this economically depressed small town Wednesday, hoping to prevent more violence after two nights of rioting triggered by the death of a black motorcyclist fleeing white officers in a high-speed chase.
The city has declared a state of emergency and imposed a 10 p. m. to 5 a. m.
curfew for children under the age of 16. Adults going to and from work are not affected by the curfew. The rain that began Wednesday evening may also discourage people from gathering outside. Benton Harbor Mayor Charles Yarbrough urged residents to stay home.
“The burning must stop, the rocks must stop, people must stop being hurt,” Yarbrough said after Tuesday’s violent protests left five homes burned and at least 10 people injured. Police used tear gas to break up a crowd of about 300 people early Wednesday. Some of the protestors shot at police, and as many as 12 people were arrested, mostly on charges of civil disturbance and vandalism, Yarbrough said. “It was very violent,” Benton Harbor Police Chief Sam Harris said.
“We had gunfire. They shot at our trucks, they shot at the captain of police, ran barricades. ” The violence followed the death Monday night of a black motorcyclist in a high-speed chase by white police officers from nearby Benton Township. The motorcyclist, 28-year-old Terrance Shurn, of Benton Harbor, was killed when he crashed into a vacant building in a neighborhood near the city’s center.
City Manager Joe Patterson said the Michigan State Police are investigating the incident. Wednesday afternoon, police officers from several different jurisdictions began arriving in Benton Harbor. Some carried riot gear, and several reinforced vans called “peacekeepers” were parked downtown. The bullet-proof vans help protect officers from gunshots, rocks and bottles. Michigan Gov.
Jennifer Granholm said about 130 state police officers are assisting local law enforcement, but she urged local leaders to come together to restore calm. “The civil unrest of recent days must come to an end, and the healing process must begin for the future of the community,” Granholm said in a written statement. “We will provide assistance both in ending the violence and enabling the healing process in Benton Harbor. ” Yarbrough said the governor has promised to visit the city, but he did not say when. Many of the city’s residents believe they are unfairly targeted by police from the more prosperous white communities that surround them, said Charlie Ammeson, a local attorney. “The real underlying cause, in my opinion, is that we have a segregated community up here,” Ammeson said.
“The fear, the distrust, that develops just gets blown out of proportion. ” About 12,000 people live in Benton Harbor, a predominantly black city on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Though it was once home to foundries, boat yards and appliance factories, many of its jobs have evaporated and unemployment now runs above 25 percent, according to state records. “It’s not racial as much as you have a very poor community,” Ammeson said. Another resident, Cynthia Caldwell, said people in Benton Harbor are “frustrated and angry. ” Many of them aired their grievances Tuesday night at a packed meeting of Benton Township’s Board of Trustees.
Lt. Mike Risko, a Michigan State Police spokesman, said a Berrien County sheriff’s deputy clocked Shurn doing 100 mph and attempted to pursue him. The deputy broke off pursuit, but police from Benton Township picked up the chase into Benton Harbor, he said. “The driver of the motorcycle ended up losing control and ran into a vacant building,” Risko said. Shurn’s uncle, Ralph Crenshaw, said the officers knew who they were chasing and could have picked up his nephew later without risking lives in a high-speed chase.
Ammeson said Shurn was popular and likable, but the rioting “could have happened six months ago, or six years. ” “This community needs to deal with these issues rather than inflame them and ignore them,” he said.
