Large Crowd Gathers In South LA After LASD Deputies Shoot, Kill Black Man Who Allegedly Assaulted Deputy, 'Produced A Handgun'
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Authorities were investigating Monday after deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shot and killed a Black man who allegedly punched one of them and dropped a handgun.
Sheriff's investigators said the incident started around 3:15 p.m. near West 109th Place and Budlong Avenue when deputies attempted to stop a man riding his bike for a vehicle code violation. Investigators said the man then took off running.
Cell phone video captured the man running from deputies moments before he was fatally shot. Witnesses could be heard in that video yelling out at the deputies involved.
"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. "The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred."
Investigators said a handgun was recovered at the scene.
One woman, who didn't want to be identified, said she knew the man and saw the whole thing.
"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," she said. "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," the woman said through tears. "What are y'all here for? Who are you protecting?"
Cell phone video taken after the shooting shows deputies trying to render aid to the man, identified by family at the scene as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee. Immediately following the shooting, a small crowd gathered around the scene, but quickly grew to nearly 100.
"How many more times do we have to gather out here, mourning the loss of our brothers and sisters," one protester said.
The District Attorney's Office and the Office of the Inspector General were both on the scene, though investigators could not say how many times or where the man was shot.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
