Biking While Black: Charges Won’t Be Filed Against L.A. Deputies In Fatal Shooting of Black Bicyclist

Los Angeles prosecutors announced Tuesday that two Los Angeles County deputies will not face criminal charges for shooting and killing a Black bicyclist in 2020.

According to ABC News, prosecutors believed the deputies, Christian Morales and Michael Garcia, acted in self-defense as they tried to stop 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee who was reportedly riding a bicycle in the wrong direction.

A review by the Justice System Integrity Division of the county district attorney’s office determined that Kizzee was holding a pistol when he was shot by deputies in South Los Angeles who attempted to stop him for a traffic violation on Aug. 31, 2020.

Officials say Kizzee dropped his bicycle and ran away, carrying a bundle of clothing that contained a firearm.

According to ABC News, the deputies told investigators they were unaware that there was a gun in the bundle of clothing and fired at Kizzee after he picked up the handgun that fell out during a struggle with one of the officers.

An autopsy revealed that the 29-year-old was struck 16 times in the front and back by bullets which family members described as “an execution,” CBS News reported.

The two deputies were not wearing body cameras; several surveillance cameras and one cell phone captured video of the incident.

The incident sparked a number of South Los Angeles protests seeking answers for the event.

In a 19-page memo issued last Thursday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office concluded the deputies “reasonably believed, based on the totality of the circumstances, that force was necessary to defend against a threat of death when they initially fired their weapons.”

The memo stated there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the deputies’ final shots weren’t fired in defense of themselves or others in a criminal court.

“My heart goes out to Mr. Kizzee’s family for the loss of their loved one,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.

Attorneys for Kizzee’s family have questioned why he was stopped in the first place. The family has filed a $35 million claim against the county, which signals a potential lawsuit.