LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Deputies arrested 12 protesters during a demonstration at the South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station to protest the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee by deputies in the Westmont area, authorities said today.
What was billed as an “Emergency Protest'' Sunday also took deputies to task for firing chemical irritants at a 7-year-old girl after an unlawful assembly was declared during a Saturday demonstration, according to social media posts on Twitter.
The size of the Sunday crowd was not available. The demonstration was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. A participant known as @desertborder tweeted that 50 people were on the sidewalk across from the sheriff's station when he arrived at 1310 W. Imperial Highway.
According to @desertborder's tweets, an unlawful assembly was declared at about 10 p.m.
“They were throwing chunks of concrete, bricks and rocks at deputies,'' said Deputy Morgan Arteaga of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. Protesters wearing helmets and carrying shields also launched mortars at the deputies, she said. No injuries or property damage was reported.
Mari Matsuoka of the Revolution Club of Los Angeles demanded the immediate release of those arrested Sunday night. “This is an outrage. They were charged with `failure to disperse,` a citation,'' Matsuoka said. “This is clearly politically motivated punishment.''
Witnesses said those arrested were told they could remain in through Wednesday.
Kizzee was fatally shot Aug. 31 during a confrontation with deputies near West 109th Place and South Budlong Avenue.
Sheriff's officials said he was riding a bicycle in the area and deputies stopped him for an unspecified vehicle code violation. After he was stopped, he allegedly tried to run away.
“Our suspect was holding some items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and 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.''
Why Kizzee was shot despite having been unarmed was not made clear, although the sheriff's department alleged he “made a motion toward the firearm.''
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