This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-31688942

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
US police shoot homeless man dead in Los Angeles US police shoot homeless man dead in Los Angeles
(about 1 hour later)
A video has captured the moment US police shot and killed a homeless man after an altercation in central Los Angeles. A video has captured the moment US police shot and killed a homeless man during an altercation at a homeless camp in central Los Angeles.
The graphic film shows a violent struggle between the man and several officers in the city's Skid Row area.The graphic film shows a violent struggle between the man and several officers in the city's Skid Row area.
As the police try to subdue him, a voice is heard shouting "Drop the gun!" Seconds later, five gunshots ring out. Police say that three officers opened fire after the man tried to grab a gun from an officer.
Police have yet to confirm whether the man was armed. The dead man, known on the street as Africa, had been homeless after treatment for mental illness.
Skid Row has a large homeless population.Skid Row has a large homeless population.
Police spokesman Sgt Barry Montgomery told the LA Times newspaper that officers had been responding to reports of a robbery in the area. The LA police department said officers had been responding to reports of a robbery and had attempted to use a Taser to subdue the suspect but he had "continued fighting and resisting".
He declined to say how many officers had been involved in the incident but confirmed that none had been injured. He did not identify the dead man. No other gun was recovered at the scene, LA police commander Andrew Smith said.
The police department said officers had attempted to use a Taser to subdue the suspect but he had "continued fighting and resisting". Last year, highly publicised killings of black men sparked weeks of protests in the US.
LA police commander Andrew Smith said that at some point there had been a struggle over one of the officer's weapons. Hours after the latest shooting, the hash tag #LAPDShooting was trending on Twitter in the LA area.
No other gun was recovered at the scene, he told the LA Times. "As if the homeless aren't victims enough due to economic violence/marginalization, we have cops to shoot them point blank. Ugh," wrote one tweeter.
Police would have been allowed to use deadly force if the man had a weapon. Shooting victim
Nicknamed Africa, had been living on the street for months.
Is said to have spent 10 years in a mental health institution before winding up homeless
Is said by people who knew him to have not been violent but still exhibited "mental problems"
Sources: LA Times and ABC News
Five shotsFive shots
It is unclear from the video what exactly happened, the BBC's Alastair Leithead reports from LA.It is unclear from the video what exactly happened, the BBC's Alastair Leithead reports from LA.
The video begins with a man swinging punches at four police officers on a pavement in daylight. Two other officers run up to join their colleagues. The video begins with a man swinging punches at four police officers in daylight, near the tents and cardboard of a pavement homeless camp. Two other officers run up to join their colleagues.
As the man is knocked to the ground, a woman can be seen picking up a fallen police baton and a voice appears to shout "Give me my stick! Give me my stick!"As the man is knocked to the ground, a woman can be seen picking up a fallen police baton and a voice appears to shout "Give me my stick! Give me my stick!"
Several police officers turn to tackle the woman, in the foreground of the video, and her detention partially obscures what is happening with the man on the ground.Several police officers turn to tackle the woman, in the foreground of the video, and her detention partially obscures what is happening with the man on the ground.
A voice can be heard shouting "Drop the gun!" four times before five shots ring out.A voice can be heard shouting "Drop the gun!" four times before five shots ring out.
The police officers step away from the suspect lying on the ground and nobody approaches the body again for one minute 13 seconds, by which time police reinforcements have arrived.The police officers step away from the suspect lying on the ground and nobody approaches the body again for one minute 13 seconds, by which time police reinforcements have arrived.
The man taking the video can be heard swearing as he records it.The man taking the video can be heard swearing as he records it.
After the shooting, he can be heard saying. "Ain't nobody got no [obscenity] gun. I'm gonna record this [obscenity]... They just shot that man right here, man, they just shot that [obscenity] man right here, yeah."After the shooting, he can be heard saying. "Ain't nobody got no [obscenity] gun. I'm gonna record this [obscenity]... They just shot that man right here, man, they just shot that [obscenity] man right here, yeah."
Tensions Other cameras
The president of LA's Police Commission, Steve Soboroff, told the BBC it was important to investigate the facts before making any conclusions. Commander Smith said three officers, including a sergeant, had fired their guns as they struggled on the ground for control of one of the police officer's weapons.
"I would just encourage and pray that people not rush to judgement," he said. "It isn't fair to anyone. It's not fair to the family of the victim, to the victim's memory or to the officers," He said the department was aware of the amateur video and would attempt to amplify its sound and pictures to establish exactly what had happened.
Last year, highly publicised killings of black men sparked weeks of protests in the US. "The video is disturbing," he told reporters. "It's disturbing any time anyone loses their life. It's a tragedy."
The shooting dead of Michael Brown - an unarmed black 18-year-old - by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last August sparked protests across the US. The commander added that at least one of the police officers had been wearing a body camera.
Tensions were further inflamed in January when police in New Jersey were caught on camera shooting dead a black man as he stepped out of a car with his hands raised. According to an ABC News report, the three officers have placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting.
Steve Soboroff, president of LA's Police Commission, told the BBC it was important to investigate the facts before making any conclusions.
Witnesses told the Los Angeles Times that Africa had been living on the street for four or five months.
Ina Murphy, who lives in an apartment nearby, said he had told her he had recently been released after spending 10 years in a mental health facility.
People on Skid Row who knew Africa say he was not violent, ABC reports.
"What did he do?" said Steven Tugmon. "He wasn't an aggravated person. He wasn't mad all the time. He just had mental problems."
Are you in Los Angeles's Skid Row district? Did you witness the events? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.
Email your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, upload them here, tweet them to @BBC_HaveYourSay or text 61124. If you are outside the UK, send them to the international number +44 7624 800 100.
Read our terms and conditions.
Have your say