Blacks still sizing up Ritter
The Denver Ministerial Alliance, a group of African-American ministers, says it won't automatically back the Democratic candidate for governor.
By Mark P. Couch
Denver Post Staff Writer
Posted:08/07/2006 01:00:00 AM MDT
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, dogged early in his campaign by opposition from abortion rights activists, is also being carefully scrutinized by another traditionally core group of Democrats: the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance.
The key leaders in the African-American religious community have yet to endorse the sole Democratic candidate for governor, and they said they are concerned about his handling of fatal shootings by Denver police officers.
During his 12-year tenure as the Denver District Attorney, Ritter never prosecuted a police officer for using excessive force that wounded or killed citizens. About 70 cases involved police use of force that wounded or killed someone.
"The problem I had with Bill is that Bill hid behind his prosecutorial wall," said the Rev. Reginald C. Holmes, pastor of New Covenant Christian Church in Denver.
"Even if he said 'I'm bound by the office of prosecutor,' he could have come back and said, 'I think this is wrong,"' Holmes said. "That would have gone a long way toward quelling the tension."
Holmes was president of the alliance at the 2003 flashpoint in police-community tension - the fatal shooting of a developmentally disabled 15-year-old African-American boy who was wielding a knife.
Ritter concluded that Officer James Turney had a reasonable belief that Paul Childs posed an imminent danger and, therefore, Ritter would not proceed with criminal prosecution.
At the time, African-American leaders expressed disgust with the decision and warned that anger was rising to a boiling point. The frustration simmers on.
"I would have liked to hear from him that 'we need to make some changes in the law, or we need to make some changes in what I can do as a prosecutor,' and that just didn't come from him," said Holmes.
Ritter said he did challenge the tactics used by the police officers in the case. In a 46-page opinion, Ritter noted that two police officers on the scene were carrying nonlethal stun guns.
"I very much called into question the tactics," Ritter said. "I said I can't formally file charges. In addition, though, I said that the police department should investigate if those are the appropriate tactics."
The fallout from the Childs case and other instances of police use of force could affect the alliance's endorsement in the governor's race.
Earlier in his campaign, Ritter faced skepticism from many female Democratic leaders and abortion-rights activists because of his opposition to abortion. Many have since given Ritter their support.
And Ritter has won the endorsement of key African-American political leaders, including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock, and state Reps. Rosemary Marshall and Terrance Carroll.
The alliance includes about 40 religious leaders from several denominations, and those ministers reach about 20,000 people in metro Denver.
The Rev. Paul Burleson, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus and the alliance's current president, said he expects his group to ask tough questions of Ritter and his Republican rival, Congressman Bob Beauprez.
"We are concerned, but we are going to give him the benefit of the doubt and allow him to address those issues," Burleson said.
Beauprez should not assume that he'll have an easy ride with the alliance because of Ritter's record of not prosecuting police officers involved in fatal shootings, warned Burleson.
"We're concerned about his record as congressman and what the administration's done to America," Burleson said. "We don't want that to happen to Colorado."
Specifically, the alliance wants to discuss schools, the minimum wage, health care and the war in Iraq with the candidates when they meet later this year. Ritter said he will meet with the alliance in September.
Historically, the alliance has favored Democratic candidates, but Ritter isn't guaranteed the endorsement either.
"We are not locked to the Democrats or Republicans," Burleson said. "We are concerned about the most viable candidate to address the needs of the community. We are not narrow-minded enough to think that one party has all the answers."
John Marshall, spokesman for Beauprez, said Beauprez has more in common with the black community.
"I think the reality is that Bob Beauprez has purposely tried to reach out to the black community for several reasons," Marshall said.
"Maybe chief among them is the Bob Beauprez has more in common with them and they share more of the same values," he said, pointing to the issue of gay marriage.
Ritter, who supports a measure on the November ballot that would allow gay couples to register domestic partnerships, said no one in the African-American community has raised the issue with him.