Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a Black man during a confrontation Monday afternoon in South LA, sparking protests at the scene of the encounter
Staff
On Monday, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies killed a Black man, identified as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee, in an occurrence sparking a new round of outrage in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont.
The sheriff’s department says that at about 3:15 p.m. local time two deputies tried to stop a Black man riding a bicycle “in violation of vehicle codes,” but when they approached him, he got off the bicycle and ran.
Sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Dean told reporters that deputies caught up to the suspect about a block away, and when they approached him, the man punched one of the deputies in the face and dropped items of clothing he had been carrying.
Deputies “noticed that inside the clothing items he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun,” and that’s when both deputies opened fire, shooting the man “several” times, Dean said. Investigators recovered a handgun from the scene.
The man was later pronounced dead at the scene.
At the street, many have questioned why deputies fired at Kizzee, although it was reported by the county officials that he wasn’t holding the weapon he allegedly had in his possession.
A video taken in the neighborhood showed two deputies running after a man appearing to be carrying a bundle of clothes in his hands. Later, the deputies with their guns drawn, apparently after they shot the man.
The deputies say Kizzee dropped a bundle of clothing he had been carrying, where they spotted a black handgun. Dean said they both opened fire, killing the bicyclist.
The man’s death comes amid public protests over the August 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two months after the killing of 18-year-old Andres Guardado in Gardena by police, and the May death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after an officer knelt on his neck.
Police not wearing body cameras
Dean said the deputies have yet to be interviewed and were not wearing body cameras; investigators are combing the area for any surveillance video or home security footage and are calling on any witnesses with cell phone video to come forward.
The District Attorney’s office and Office of the Inspector General are assisting in the investigation immediately after the incident. Investigators have not said how many times or where the man was shot.
Following the shooting, activist group Black Lives Matter L.A. tweeted a call for protesters to gather in the area. CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL estimated as many as 100 demonstrators were at the scene Monday evening, chanting demands for justice.
“How many more times do we have to gather out here, mourning the loss of our brothers and sisters,” said an unnamed protester.
Investigators have yet to interview the deputies and the many other witnesses, Dean said. They have not reviewed surveillance footage or cellphone videos that may have captured the shooting.
