Los Angeles police at a protest on July 11, 2020 -
Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / Shutterstock / SIPA
A black man was killed by police, who claim he was armed with a pistol, Monday in Los Angeles (California), amid a general climate of tension and mistrust of the police revived by the Jacob Blake case.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, through the voice of Lt. Brandon Dean, gave their side of the story at a press conference.
Aged "thirty years", the man in question was riding a bicycle early Monday afternoon when officers tried to arrest him for a traffic violation.
The man died on the spot
According to the authorities' account, he "ran away" after leaving his bicycle behind.
The police managed to catch up with him.
It was then, said Brandon Dean, that the young African-American "punched one of the officers in the face."
The suspect dropped a pile of clothes in his hand.
“Officers noticed that a black semi-automatic pistol was inside the pile of clothes,” the lieutenant continued.
The police then fired.
The man, hit by several bullets, died on the spot.
"He was in possession of a gun and attacked an officer," insisted Brandon Dean, indicating that an investigation had been opened.
Around 100 people gathered at the scene Monday evening, according to local media, as the anti-racist protest movement was revived in the United States after a white policeman shot a black man seven times in the back. in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
President Donald Trump, who is due to go there on Tuesday, has no plans to meet the family of Jacob Blake, left paralyzed by this apparent police blunder.
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