'No Attempt At De-escalation': New Security Footage Shows At Least 18 Shots Fired At South LA Bicyclist By Deputies
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- New security footage obtained by CBSLA gives an idea of how many times deputies fired their guns at 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee Monday afternoon, after stopping him for an alleged code violation while he was riding his bicycle.
The footage, from the vantage points of multiple neighbors' patios, does not show the shooting. However, at least 18 gunshots can be heard as neighbors are seen recoiling.
"They shot four times initially, where you knew the victim was gone, and then there were 11 more shots that persisted." said Ricardo Richmond, one of the neighbors who witnessed the shooting. "You saw, he (Kizzee) was like 'Hey man, don't touch me!' and then it was like boom, boom, boom...there was no attempt at de-escalation."
Kizzee's family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- most recently known for representing the family of Jacob Blake, who was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, setting off a renewed round of national protests.
Crump says that Kizzee was shot 20 times in the back, but deputies have not disclosed how many shots were fired.
"Dijon Kizzee, a 29yo Black man, was fatally shot by (sheriffs') deputies,'' Crump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning. "Cops stopped him while riding his bike for alleged 'vehicle code violation.' They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun. He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours.''
#DijonKizzee, a 29yo Black man, was fatally shot by @LASDHQ deputies. Cops stopped him while riding his bike for alleged "vehicle code violation." They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun. He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours. pic.twitter.com/CF1hVihywv
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 1, 2020
Kizzee was killed by deputies after they attempted to stop him for a code violation while he was riding his bicycle near West 109th Place and South Budlong Avenue at around 3:15 p.m. Monday.
He ran from them, prompting a foot chase. When deputies caught up to him, they allege he punched one of them in the face. During the scuffle, he dropped some clothes he was carrying and they saw a semiautomatic handgun, prompting them to open fire on him, the sheriff's department reports.
It's unclear if Kizzee actually aimed the weapon at the deputies. However, on Tuesday, the sheriff's department amended its earlier description of the shooting to say that Kizzee "made a motion toward the firearm,'' so two deputies opened fire.
The deputies, whose names have not been released, have been removed from the field pending a review of the incident, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department announced on Tuesday.
"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," Sheriff's Lt. Brandon Dean said Monday night. "The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred."
MORE: Protesters Demand Answers After Bicyclist Shot, Killed By Deputies In South LA
On Tuesday, Kizzee's relatives, as well as several civil rights activists, said that Kizzee was carrying a weapon, but they insist he was not wielding it and did not reach for it. They say he was unarmed when shot.
"Why us?'' his aunt, Fletcher Fair, said. "... It's just us, and we're tired. We are absolutely tired.''
Cell phone video from the scene showed deputies rendering first aid on Kizzee, but he died at the scene. No deputies were hurt. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
Sheriff's officials could not immediately confirm to CBSLA what the code violation was which prompted the initial traffic stop on Kizzee.
Protestors gathered at the scene of the shooting Tuesday night for the second day in a row, marching to the South Los Angeles Sheriff's station located at 1310 W. Imperial Highway.
Rep. Maxine Waters joined protestors, including Kizzee's aunt, and condemned the actions of the deputies.
"Despite Black Lives Matter, they are shooting and killing as if to say they're going to show us that they're not going to stop," she said.
This shooting comes after the fatal shooting of a Black man in Pasadena also sparked major protests. On the night of Aug. 15, 32-year-old Anthony McClain was killed by Pasadena police following a traffic stop. Police said that McClain was also armed.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
