News / Politics

Los Angeles: BLM protesters gather at site of police killing of black man

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 8:22 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 01 September 2020 8:42 AM ]

A man shouts at sheriff's deputies standing where a black man, identified by Black Lives Matter Los Angeles as Dijon Kizzee, was shot and killed by two sheriff's deputies in Los Angeles. (Photo by EPA)

Black Live Matters (BLM) demonstrators in Los Angeles have gathered at a site where a black man was shot and killed by police officers on Monday afternoon.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, deputies were driving in a patrol car when they saw Dijon Kizzee riding a bicycle, and decided to pull him over for a traffic violation. He left the bike and tried to run away.

Police said when the deputies caught up with him, they spotted a handgun among some clothing items that the man had been carrying. It was not immediately clear if he tried to reach for the weapon before the deputies shot him, the department said in a statement to the media.

The cameraman of a clip which shows the victim says: “They shot [him] like 20 times.”

The BLM demonstrators flocked to the site after the police attack, answering a call by local Black Lives Matter organizers. The protest remained peaceful.

A pretty large crowd is gathered at 109th and Budlong, the scene of a deadly deputy involved shooting today @BLMLA has called people to come out. Several @LASDHQ deputies are holding a line in front of the group as investigation continues. The latest on @CBSLA and #KCAL9 pic.twitter.com/1cVwVatrDC
— Lesley Marin (@lesleymarin) September 1, 2020

"How many more times do we have to gather out here, mourning the loss of our brothers and sisters,” one protester told CBS LA.

The deadly police shooing came in the midst of anti-racism protesters that have gripped US cities recently.

The US anti-racism and police violence protests have become a major headache for President Donald Trump, who is trailing behind his Democratic rival Joe Biden and is grappling with his mishandling of the coronavirus crisis.

Biden branded Trump "a toxic presence in our nation" since his inauguration, saying that Trump "can't stop the violence, because for years he has fomented it."

Trump refused to denounce the violent acts by his supporters during a recent protest in Portland, Oregon. He has described the anti-racism peaceful protesters as rioters, anarchists and thugs.