LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Sheriff's deputies arrested six protesters during a third consecutive night of protests outside the South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station over the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee by deputies a week ago.
About 175 protesters gathered Monday night outside the station at 1310 W. Imperial Highway, according to Deputy Eric Ortiz of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. Reports from the scene indicated the protest started at 8:30 p.m.
At 10 p.m. the demonstration was declared an unlawful assembly after protesters began throwing rocks and bottles at deputies, Ortiz said.
Deputies responded by firing pepper balls and flash bang rounds to disperse protesters, he said.
Four men, one woman and one juvenile were arrested for allegedly failing to disperse, Ortiz said. The juvenile was processed and released to parents. He did not know the custody status of the five adults.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva went to the South L.A. sheriff's station Monday evening and told reporters that they made 13 arrests Sunday night, many of which were out-of-state agitators looking to incite a riot after pipes and bottles thrown, he said.
Villanueva said the LASD will not allow any protesters near their station and that any agitators looking to start violence will see a swift response from deputies. Streets were blocked off in the area and multiple specialized Sheriff's Response Teams were mobilizing near the station, he said.
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.''
The sheriff's department alleged that Kizzee “made a motion toward the firearm,'' while community activists have accused deputies of fatally shooting an unarmed man.
An attorney for the family alleges Kizzee was shot more than 20 times and in the back. The Los Angeles Times cited sources saying the involved deputies were a trainee and his supervisor.
There was also controversy surrounding the autopsy, with the inspector general saying he was not informed of the procedure despitespecifically asking to be included, and Villanueva saying the man was trying to “distort reality.''