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| US police shoot homeless man dead in Los Angeles | US police shoot homeless man dead in Los Angeles |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| US police have shot and killed a homeless man during an altercation in central Los Angeles, in an incident caught on video. | US police have shot and killed a homeless man during an altercation in central Los Angeles, in an incident caught on video. |
| 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. |
| Police say that three officers opened fire after the man tried to grab a gun from an officer. | Police say that three officers opened fire after the man tried to grab a gun from an officer. |
| Witnesses said the dead man was known as Africa and had been homeless after treatment for mental illness. | Witnesses said the dead man was known as Africa and had been homeless after treatment for mental illness. |
| 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". | 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". |
| No other gun was recovered at the scene, LA police commander Andrew Smith said. | No other gun was recovered at the scene, LA police commander Andrew Smith said. |
| Last year, highly publicised killings of black men sparked weeks of protests in the US. | Last year, highly publicised killings of black men sparked weeks of protests in the US. |
| Hours after the latest shooting, the hashtag #LAPDShooting was trending on Twitter in the US. | Hours after the latest shooting, the hashtag #LAPDShooting was trending on Twitter in the US. |
| Shooting victim | Shooting victim |
| Sources: LA Times and ABC News | Sources: LA Times and ABC News |
| It is unclear from the video what exactly happened, the BBC's Alastair Leithead reports from Los Angeles. | It is unclear from the video what exactly happened, the BBC's Alastair Leithead reports from Los Angeles. |
| The video begins with what appears to be a black 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. | The video begins with what appears to be a black 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 seems 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 seems 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. No-one approaches the body again for one minute and 13 seconds, by which time police reinforcements have arrived. | The police officers step away from the suspect lying on the ground. No-one approaches the body again for one minute and 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." |
| Skid Row | Skid Row |
| Other cameras | Other cameras |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| "The video is disturbing," he told reporters. "It's disturbing any time anyone loses their life. It's a tragedy." | "The video is disturbing," he told reporters. "It's disturbing any time anyone loses their life. It's a tragedy." |
| The commander added that at least one of the police officers had been wearing a body camera. | The commander added that at least one of the police officers had been wearing a body camera. |
| According to an ABC News report, the three officers have been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting. | According to an ABC News report, the three officers have been 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. | 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 the man who died had been living on the street for four or five months. | Witnesses told the Los Angeles Times that the man who died had been living on the street for four or five months. |
| Ina Murphy, who lives in an apartment nearby, said he had told her that he had recently been released after spending 10 years in a mental health facility. | Ina Murphy, who lives in an apartment nearby, said he had told her that he had recently been released after spending 10 years in a mental health facility. |
| People on Skid Row who knew him said he was not violent. | People on Skid Row who knew him said he was not violent. |
| "What did he do?" said Steven Tugmon to ABC News. "He wasn't an aggravated person. He wasn't mad all the time. He just had mental problems." | "What did he do?" said Steven Tugmon to ABC News. "He wasn't an aggravated person. He wasn't mad all the time. He just had mental problems." |