This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
Palmdale Officials Support Independent Probe into Black Man's Hanging Death ¶
On Saturday, city officials in Palmdale, California, announced their support for an independent investigation into the death of Robert L. Fuller, a 24-year-old black man found hanging from a tree in a public square on Wednesday.
The death of Mr. Fuller has sparked widespread outrage and protests in the city and beyond, with many calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
At a rally for Mr. Fuller on Saturday, his sister, Diamond Alexander, expressed her family's deep skepticism about the initial determination of suicide by city officials.
“Everything that they’ve been telling us has not been right,” she said, according to video of the rally. “We’ve been hearing one thing. Then we hear another. And we just want to know the truth.”
Ms. Alexander also disputed the claim that her brother was suicidal, saying, “My brother was not suicidal. He wasn’t.”
Protesters gathered in Palmdale on Saturday, holding signs that read, “Justice for Robert Fuller” and “Black Lives Matter.” They called out, “Say his name!” and chanted, “Robert Fuller.”
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a passer-by found Mr. Fuller’s body hanging from a tree in Poncitlán Square, across from Palmdale City Hall, at around 3:39 a.m. on Wednesday.
Personnel from a nearby fire station responded and determined that Mr. Fuller was dead, the department said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office also responded.
However, protesters and residents have questioned the initial determination of suicide by city officials, citing a lack of transparency and evidence.
“Why was it right here in public, in front of City Hall, next to a church, in front of a library?” one woman asked at a news conference called by officials at Palmdale City Hall on Friday. “Why was it like that? Who would do that? No black man would hang himself in public like that.”
Others demanded to know if there were video cameras in the area and to know who found Mr. Fuller.
Kim Kardashian West, the reality TV star, weighed in on Twitter on Friday, urging her followers to sign a petition to demand a thorough investigation.
“This was not a case of suicide but murder,” reads the petition.
The N.A.A.C.P.’s Antelope Valley branch said in a statement that law enforcement needed to provide answers.
“A grieving family deserves to know if foul play was involved,” the statement said.
Mayor R. Rex Parris of Lancaster, a nearby city, said law enforcement officials told him on Friday that all signs pointed to a suicide, and that there were no signs indicating any other cause of death.
However, the family of Mr. Fuller disputes this claim, and is calling for a thorough investigation into his death.
