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The fatal shooting of a black man by police in South Los Angeles sparked a large protest after a call to action by a local Black Lives Matter group.
A large demonstration broke out Monday evening at the scene where a man, identified by family and the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee, was shot after allegedly punching an officer in the face and dropping a firearm, KCAL-TV reported.
(Source: KCAL)
“Los Angeles County Sheriffs killed a Black man…Dijon…on 109th and Budlong and left his body facedown in the dirt. We need all hands on deck,” Black Lives Matter Los Angeles tweeted.
Los Angeles County Sheriffs killed a Black man…Dijon…on 109th and Budlong and left his body facedown in the dirt.
We need all hands on deck.
Please get here ASAP!— #BlackLivesMatter-LA (@BLMLA) September 1, 2020
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reportedly tried to stop the man Monday afternoon in the Westmont area of Los Angeles when he was riding his bike for an alleged “code violation.” The suspect took off on foot and, when police caught up to him again, there was an alleged confrontation, causing the man to drop the clothes he was carrying and exposing a handgun.
“Our suspect was holding some items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and then dropped the items in his hands,” Lt. Brandon Dean said during a news briefing. “The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
During the contact, a fight ensued between the suspect and deputies. The suspect produced a handgun and a deputy-involved “hit” shooting occurred. The suspect’s handgun was recovered. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 1, 2020
Dean added that the man was struck by officers several times, “however we are unaware of exactly where, as we have not been able to move the body yet as we were waiting for the coroner’s office.”
Some of the incident was caught in cell phone video which showed the man running from deputies, carrying what seemed to be a bundle of clothes. The edited video then cut to deputies approaching the man with their guns pointed as he lay on the ground behind a parked vehicle.
**WARNING: Disturbing images, Language**
tw // “sheriff-involved shooting” of #DijonKizzee in #LosAngeles
multiple witnesses say the shooting happened after dijon kizzee was pulled over near 109th & budlong in #SouthLA for a vehicle violation while riding a bike and tried to flee pic.twitter.com/iA7SkomtgU
— 𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙪 🧢💜💛 (@siushi) September 1, 2020
“He had a towel and he had his clothes and his pants couldn’t even stay up, so that’s what made him slow down so they had enough time to get him,” one woman who reportedly witnessed the incident told KCAL. “They didn’t have to shoot him more than 5 times, they could have shot him one time in the leg.
“What’s the use of having the prison system if y’all are just gonna kill us,” she added. “What are y’all here for? Who are you protecting?”
Asked during the news briefing about why deputies shot the suspect, Dean noted that the investigation would reveal what had occurred leading up to the incident.
“We still have to conduct our interviews of the investigating officers to see exactly what happened and transpired during the deputy-involved-shooting,” the lieutenant said. “But if this individual was reaching for a semi-automatic handgun, I would suggest that, you know, that’s probably why deadly force was important.”
The local Black Lives Matters chapter tweeted a message for protesters to gather, adding “White folks, please defer to Black leadership.”
His name is #DijonKizzee and LA County Sheriffs stole his life.
Stand for him. Stand with the community on 109th & Budlong RIGHT NOW.
*White folks, please defer to Black leadership. #BlackLivesMatter— #BlackLivesMatter-LA (@BLMLA) September 1, 2020
The local activist group People’s City Council of Los Angeles tweeted that Kizzee’s family was “asking for a quiet demonstration tonight.”
We are here to respect the family of #DijonKizzee. They are asking for a quiet demonstration tonight. pic.twitter.com/fQyF6NVKeK
— People’s City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) September 1, 2020
But some video purportedly from the scene showed rising tensions in the crowd as they confronted law enforcement.
An officer called the group agitators, which members of the crowd overheard. Another officer (unmasked one) stepped up to deescalate. The crowd grew more upset at his lack of mask. Then deputies pushed people in the front into an already dense crowd. pic.twitter.com/ZwQaXyTmAz
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) September 1, 2020
Other videos shared on social media showed demonstrators in front of the the police station and others driving in protest caravans.
The family has requested the crowd to move to the sheriff’s station, which they are doing now pic.twitter.com/ZjOnxlp9x1
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) September 1, 2020
LASD has declared an unlawful assembly for the second time pic.twitter.com/NcAtFt2jRk
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) September 1, 2020
Antifa and BLM field organizers are directing large crowd down Imperial Highway: Reports are they want to target “Rich White Hoods” #LAShooting #LARiots #DijonKizzee pic.twitter.com/nnvnJFxcXL
— 6% Shawn (@ShawnPatrick_22) September 1, 2020
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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