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Dijon Kizzee killing: Protests erupt as LA cops shoot 'armed' Black man 5 times for allegedly punching deputy

Cops alleged that Dijon Kizzee punched a policeman and also had a semiautomatic handgun under his clothes when the cops chased him over a bike riding violation

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shot and killed an African-American man and sparked protests as a large group gathered in South Los Angeles on August 31 evening.

The incident took place in the area of Westmont when officers opened fire on a suspect after a chase. A local Black Lives Matters group identified the victim as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee. Apparently, Kizzee was riding his bike when the deputies tried to stop him for "code violations related to his bike riding". The man fled on foot and after the officers confronted him, the suspect allegedly punched a cop, New York Post reported.

A woman who knew the man and witnessed the entire incident told CBS Los Angeles that the suspect was shot at least five times by the police. "He had a towel and he had his clothes and his pants couldn’t even stay up, so that’s what made him slow down so they had enough to get him," she said. "They didn’t have to shoot him more than 5 times, they could have shot him one time in the leg.'' Kizzee was declared dead at the scene. 

Fighting back tears, the woman, who chose not to be identified, said that the first thought that comes to the minds of the authorities should not be to shoot Black suspects. "What’s the use of having the prison system if y’all are just gonna kill us," she said. "What are y’all here for? Who are you protecting?"

Meanwhile, according to the sheriff's office, the man produced a firearm after physically assaulting an officer. "Our suspect was holding some items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and then 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."

Cell phone footage of the incident captured moments before the suspect was shot showed bystanders yelling at the deputies who were chasing the man. After the shooting, a small crowd of protesters gathered at the scene, which soon grew to a 100. "How many more times do we have to gather out here, mourning the loss of our brothers and sisters?" one protester asked.

Since the investigation is ongoing, the police have not released specific details about the shooting, such as how many times or where the man was shot. The District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General were both at the scene. The incident started trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons after film producer and author Tariq Nasheed tweeted saying, "A white hispanic race soldier shot a Black man in the back today in Los Angeles and killed him. This happened in the Hoovers on 109 & Budlong. This is that 'BLacK & bRoWn cOaLitiOn.''

Warning: The following images could be disturbing for some readers.

He was called out by a number of social media users for using the term 'white hispanic.' Here are some of the reactions.

''Is he from Whispaniola?''

''White Hispanics? What Intersectionality nonsense is this now?''

''Not all Hispanics have dark skin but the term 'white hispanic' is weird to say the least!''

''Listen Tariq, I know you're a race baiter and all... but there's no such thing as a 'white hispanic.'"

"'Where are you seeing white on that guy"