New police chief for racially torn Ferguson, Missouri

The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri appointed a new police chief Wednesday, nearly a year after the police shooting of unarmed black man Michael Brown sparked weeks of sometimes violent protest.

Interim chief Andre Anderson, who is black, pledged to instill the force with the “respect, cultural awareness and the professionalism this community deserves.”

The appointment comes as racial tensions remain high across the United States in the wake of a series of high-profile cases of African Americans being killed by police in disputed circumstances.

The latest case is that of a black man killed by a University of Cincinnati police officer during a traffic stop Sunday.

The family of Samuel Dubose, 43, joined protesters at a rally on campus Tuesday demanding answers and access to video footage from the officer’s body camera and nearby buildings, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

“Why can’t I see the video,” his nine-year-old son said.

Dubose was killed after he was pulled over for a missing front license plate, the paper said.

He produced a bottle of alcohol when asked for his driver’s license and then struggled with police officer Ray Tensing at the door of the car.

Tensing, who had bruised legs and a torn uniform, fired one shot which killed Dubose.

“People are losing their lives over not having a license plate,” Cierra Carter, 20, a UC student, told the paper. “Those are not offenses worth dying for.”

University president Santa Ono offered his condolence to Dubose’s family.

“We also know that police officers risk their lives every day, and when their efforts to protect themselves and our community result in a death, it is a tragedy,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “No matter the circumstances, it is a time of unimaginable sadness for all involved.”

The death of a black woman who was found hanged in her cell days after being arrested during a traffic stop in Texas is being investigated as suspicious after her family insisted Sandra Bland had no reason to kill herself.

A dash cam video of the arrest released Tuesday shows a white officer arguing with Bland, pulling out his taser and saying “I will light you up” after she refuses to put out her cigarette and get out of the car.

Rebuilding the trust between police and the African American community is a national project, Anderson said after his appointment was announced in Ferguson.

He plans to introduce a new community policing strategy to engage residents and implement recommendations made by the US Justice Department’s review of Ferguson’s policing and a presidential commission.

New officers who “reflect the demographics of the community” will be hired and all officers will receive training in how to deescalate tense situations, be aware of potential bias and respect constitutional rights.

He urged community members to help him “set a course in the history books that clearly proves that peace prevails.”