People have taken to the streets after deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department fatally shot a Black man after stopping him for a vehicle violation.
Family members identified the deceased man as Dijon Kizzee, reported CBS Los Angeles. Sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Dean said deputies stopped Kizzee for a vehicle code violation while he was riding his bike through South Los Angeles on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 31, according to The Los Angeles Times. It is unclear which codes Kizzee, 29, violated.
When the deputies tried to stop Kizzee, Dean stated, he ditched his bike and started running. The deputies eventually caught up with him and a scuffle ensued.
“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,” Dean said. “The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
Kizzee was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman who knew Kizzee and witnessed the incident told CBS Los Angeles the shooting was not justified.
“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 to get him. They didn’t have to shoot him more than 5 times, they could have shot him one time in the leg,” she told the news station.
“What’s the use of having the prison system if y’all are just gonna kill us?” she asked, tearfully. “What are y’all here for? Who are you protecting?”
South Los Angeles resident Arlander Givens also argued the shooting was unnecessary.
“It’s like it’s open season,” he told The Los Angeles Times. “If he reached down to grab it, that’s different. But if it’s on the ground, why shoot? That means he was unarmed.”
Hours after Kizzee’s death, dozens of people showed up to the location to demand justice. More than 100 protesters marched to the sheriff’s station and staged a demonstration.
The incident is under investigation. The deputies involved in the shooting have not been identified.
“Give us time to conduct our investigation,” Dean said. “We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them.”