and i m gonna address theunited states of america. gary: there s no doubt that night. it was a textbook procedure. i had no choice. i was forced to take a life. i was a white cop whoshot a black 16-year-old. (protestors chanting) natacha: i would like toaddress all law enforcement across the country and around the world. honor the oath. (dramatic music) gary: the other officerskept repeating: he did the right thing.he had no choice. it was a good shoot. reporter: the death ofphillip pannell brought rage the streets of normallypeaceful teaneck, new jersey. m2: this was middle-classmodel city, american. alison: we live in teaneck.this doesn t happen in teaneck. w2: it wasn t the utopia ithought it was for many people. (dramatic music) thelma: we enduredthis pain for 30 years, now we re back here again. crowd: yeah, (music) natacha: on my honor,i will never betray my integrity forthe public trust. m3: the fact of the matter isphillip pannell was executed. m4: i don t care how
We heard like all these,like a herd of footsteps, just running up the stepsand then i was all happy. so i m thinking like,okay, that s clint. you know, maybe he brought hisfriends with him or whatever. thelma: and thenthe doorbell ring. these four boys,his friends came to the door. steven: so i getto the house and, natacha loves me.when i get there. biggest smile. i ll get it,biggest smile was on her face. (sobbing) she can see my face. like i said, she can see my face. i never forget that smile.being wiped off her face, right then.and there, she right. she turned around,she said, mama and she ran to goget her mother. (music) thelma: they said, mrs.pannell, mrs. pannell, phil got shot.phil got shot. i said is hedead? he dead? they said they dtaken him to the
The police were there, they took the boardmembers out of back door. there was a great deal of anger. the goal was the integration. and the goal was achieved. i don t think anybody thought beyond getting theschool s integrated. reporter: theissue is forever on the periphery ofracial disharmony never left teaneck any more than they ve left anyamerican community. now, the shooting deathby a police officer of the 15 year oldphillip pannell, will further teststeaneck s reputation as a forward-thinkingaccommodating community one cop claimed tous this morning. that this is the first time inteaneck s history that a cop has fired his gunin the line of duty. we don t know that that s true. only that theconsequences of that act have questionedteaneck s image, as the town that madeit work for everyone. (music)