With protesters gathering at the scene of the shooting for a second night, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday said the two deputies who shot and killed a Black man in the Westmont area of South Los Angeles have been removed from the field as the investigation continues.
Dijon Kizzee, 29, was riding his bike around 3 p.m. Monday when deputies tried to stop him for what they described as a vehicle code violation. After he ran, deputies eventually caught up with him in the 1200 block of West 109th Place, where Kizzee punched one of the deputies, dropping clothing that was in his hands, the Sheriff’s Department said.
They then noticed a firearm in the bundle of clothes he dropped, according to officials.
Kizzee then “made a motion toward the firearm” and the two deputies opened fire, shooting and killing him, the Sheriff’s Department said in an update Tuesday.
The shooting is still under investigation.
Around 5 p.m. Tuesday, dozens of community members demanding justice for Kizzee participated in a march to the South L.A. Sheriffs’ Station, which was surrounded by armed deputies.
Rep. Maxine Waters stood among the protesters.
“I have sent messages to the police and my last message was, ‘don’t shoot or kill another black person,'” she told the crowd.
Protesters could be seen carrying signs saying “Justice for Dijon,” “Black Lives Matter” and “Dijon Kizzee deserves justice.”
“It’s time that we stop being silent. It’s time that we speak up and speak out because change is needed,” protester Anthony Bryson said.
The night of the shooting, about 100 protesters gathered behind police tape at the scene, video from Sky5 showed. They chanted, “these racist cops have got to go” and “no justice, no peace.”
