Resign Rahm: Silent Protester Disrupts Mayor's Conference

UPDATED: 4:36 p.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A demonstrator interrupted a meeting of the nation's mayors, halting a news conference and standing in silence to protest the police shooting of a Chicago teenager.

April Goggans, a member of Black Lives Matter, cut off a speech by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C.

She stood in front of Rawlings-Blake, and a dozen other officials, holding a sign that read "16 Shots And A Cover Up, #LaquanMcDonald #ResignRahm."

Goggans, who is from the Washington, D.C. area, stood in front of the group for about 10 minutes.

"Elected officials need to know that we are everywhere," Goggans told CBS 2's Derrick Blakley after her protest. "We are going to disrupt them. Black people are still being killed by police as these mayors keep investing in the police and not divesting from them to invest in black communities."

Emanuel is in Washington for the meeting, but was not at the news conference.

The protest is another sign of the damage to Rahm Emanuel's reputation caused by fallout over the Laquan McDonald shooting, damage he tried lessen today by talking up measures to change police-community relations.

"Every encounter between law enforcement and a resident is a teachable moment," Emanuel said.

The mayor talked about how to ensure the public believes police will he held accountable.

"The public has to know there's a legitimate oversight, it's certain and it's not biased and the truth is we're working on that in our city, in other cities, there's a lot of judgement that the oversight has been lax and there is not an accounting system," Emanuel.

As part of a panel, the mayor reiterated efforts to keep kids out of gangs and trouble with summer jobs and afterschool activities.

"Long term, the biggest impact you can make on gun violence-- getting kids to walk across the stage on graduation day," he said.

Emanuel received support and sympathy from other city leaders like Michael Nutter, who just left Philadelphia mayor's office after eight years.

"I think the first thing that goes through your mind is there but for the grace of God goes I," Nutter said.
Emanuel has been under intense criticism for the city's handling of the McDonald shooting.

The teenager was shot 16 times by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. For a year, the city's lawyers tried to keep the video under wraps.

McDonald, who had a knife, was walking away from police when he was shot. Initial versions from police said McDonald lunged at officers before being shot.

Van Dyke has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

Last month in Baltimore, a judge declared a mistrial in the case of officer William Porter.

Porter was one of six officers charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old who died after sustaining a neck injury while in police custody.

Porter faced charges of second degree assault, involuntary manslaughter, and official misconduct. According to authorities Porter did not call for medical assistance after Gray said he needed help.