The Tampa Tribune
St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Mayor Rick Baker Thursday afternoon praised efforts by police to quell pockets of unrest in the city’s predominantly black Midtown area Wednesday night.
But, he said at a press conference at city hall, he would not be cowed by such violence to settle an ongoing lawsuit filed by the family of a black man fatally shot by a white police officer eight years ago.
Lawyers for the family of TyRon Lewis and the city were expected to give closing arguments today. At issue is whether the white police officer, James Knight, was negligent when he killed Lewis as Lewis bumped a car up against Knight. The shooting sparked two nights of rioting in 1996 in the same area impacted Wednesday night.
Omali Yeshitela, the founder of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, a black activist group, along with Darryl Rouson, leader of the local chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., have long urged the city to settle the case.
But, Baker said at the press conference, ``You do not settle it as the result of threats of criminal violence in your community.’'
Wednesday night’s unrest began after a group of roughly 30 to 50 people started marching along 18th Avenue South from Martin Luther King Jr. Street, St. Petersburg police said. By the time the throng reached 34th Street, it had swelled, with some of its members throwing rocks, bottles and bricks at cars and buildings.
By the end of the evening, three cars were set on fire, as well as two buildings. One of the buildings was a community resource center; a Molotov cocktail bounced off its wall, causing minor damage, according to the police department.
Twenty people were also arrested - including nine juveniles, Police Chief Chuck Harmon announced at the same press conference attended by Baker. The vast majority were looters, charged with commercial burglary. But three, including two juveniles, were charged with attempted homicide of a police officer. In that case, investigators chased a car whose occupants had just fired upon a police officer, and made arrests.
Roughly half a dozen citizens were injured, some of them as their cars were getting hit with a barrage of rocks, bricks and bottles on 18th Avenue South, witnesses said. No officers were hurt