Video After The Jump
(CNN) Dozens of people gathered at Palmdale city council chambers Friday as officials held a press conference on the death of a 24-year-old black man who was found hanging from a tree in northern Los Angeles County.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m. Monday, a passerby noticed a man, later identified as 24-year old Robert L. Fuller, hanging from a tree in Palmdale, California. Fire department personnel who responded to the scene determined he was dead, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
Palmdale city described it as "an alleged death by suicide."
"Sadly, it is not the first such incident since the COVID-19 pandemic began," the city said in a statement that included information on resources for mental health. "The city remains committed to addressing mental health issues during these difficult times. We are in this together."
When a spokesperson for the sheriff's department announced the preliminary findings of Fuller's death during the news conference, outraged crowds demanded an investigation.
"We're working hard to try to figure out exactly what happened," Palmdale Mayor Steven D. Hofbauer shouted as he tried to calm people down.
Attendees asked for camera footage of the incident, but a city official said there's none. Throughout the news conference, officials repeatedly called it an ongoing investigation, saying a full autopsy is underway.
Kim Karsahian-West added her voice by sharing a Change.org petition with her 65.5 million Twitter followers, calling for an inquiry into Fuller's death. https://www.change.org/p/palmdale-pd-robert-fuller-was-found-dead-june-10-2020-after-he-was-found-hanging-from-a-tree-in-ca
"Robert Fuller was found dead June 10, 2020, hanging from a tree outside City Hall Palmdale. Sign this petition to demand for a thorough and proper investigation," she tweeted Friday, June 12.
A full autopsy is expected to be conducted in the immediate future, the Sheriff's Department said.
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