Violence Erupts Again Monday As Dijon Kizzee Protesters Square Off With Deputies
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – For the second straight night Monday, violence broke out between dozens of people protesting the shooting death of Dijon Kizzee and deputies outside the South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station.
With deputies stationed behind barricades, the demonstration in the 1300 block of West Imperial Highway was mostly peaceful until items such as rocks, mortars and bottles began to be thrown, according to the sheriff's department. Deputies then used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowd.
At least five people were arrested, the sheriff's department said. This is in addition to 12 who were arrested on Sunday night.
Speaking earlier in the day, L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva warned about outsiders seeking to incite riots.
"We definitely want people to protest peacefully, but when the sun goes down, people that show up here, they're not from the community, they're armed to the teeth; they have rocks, bottles, lasers, fireworks, mortars, hard hats," Villanueva said. "They came here to cause trouble, to create damage."
There were no serious injuries reported on either night.
"To those protesting at South LA Sheriff's Station: We support the community wanting to protest, to peacefully exercise their 1st Amendment rights. However, we are concerned there are individuals from outside of the community, and state, wanting to incite riots," LASD tweeted Monday evening. "Those individuals have already committed acts of vandalism, looting & assaults utilizing rocks, pipes & mortars. Everyone's public safety is our priority. If you are in the area, please be aware of your surroundings so that you are not hurt by those inciting violence."
An unlawful assembly was declared following a similar demonstration on Saturday.
On the afternoon of Aug. 31, Dijon Kizzee, 29, was shot and 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.
Kizzee 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 purportedly saw a semiautomatic handgun, prompting them to open fire on him, the sheriff's department claims. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
It's unclear if Kizzee actually aimed the weapon at the deputies, or how many deputies fired on him. The sheriff's department has also not disclosed what code violation prompted the traffic stop.
