US News
Black US lawmaker suggests racial motive in police tussle
By DPA
Apr 1, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - A black US lawmaker is suggesting that race was a factor in her confrontation with a police officer who tried to stop her from entering her office building on Washington\'s Capitol Hill.

Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat representing suburban Atlanta, allegedly struck the officer Wednesday after she rushed around the Longworth Office Building\'s metal detectors and he failed to recognize her.

The unusual incident was caused \'by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me - a female, black congresswoman,\' McKinney, 51, told a news conference Friday.

She said she regretted the incident, but had been advised by her lawyers not to talk about details because of reports that Capitol Police were considering asking prosecutors to open a criminal investigation against her.

In a statement Wednesday, McKinney said she had been \'urgently trying to get to an important meeting on time\' and that the police officer did not recognize her as a member of Congress.