Young Black Man Found Hanging from A Tree in Los Angeles County
A young Black man was found by a passerby hanging from a tree early morning on Monday in Los Angeles County in an apparent suicide.
Robert L. Fuller, 24 years old, was found around 3:30 in the morning on Monday in Palmdale. California. The Los Angeles County Sheriff said that Fuller was already dead by the time the Fire Department responded to the scene, according to a published report by CNN.
The community was outraged and asked for an in-depth investigation after the spokesperson from the County Sheriff's Office Department released the preliminary investigation. It was alleged that the young Black man committed suicide.
Alleged Suicide and Mental Health Issue
Meanwhile, the city included some resources about the mental health issue and said that this is not the first suicide that happened in the town since the pandemic began. Palmdale Mayor Steven D. Hofbauer told that they are working hard to figure out what had happened.
Moreover, the community who attended the news conference on the alleged suicide of Fuller outraged asked for an investigation and demanded justice for Fuller. They were also asking camera footage of the incident, but the officials said there is none and assured that an autopsy is already underway.
Fuller's Family Demands Justice
However, Fuller's family firmly believed that he did not commit suicide. Fuller's cousin told the FOX 11 News on Friday that the alleged suicidal was disgusting, while another relative said that Fuller did not commit suicide and did not have any mental issues.
The family is now asking for answers and asserted that they would not stop until they get justice for Robert Fuller's tragic death.
There are also some speculations that it was not a suicide but a form of another racist attack because his body that was found hanging above has racist writing on the ground, but the message is not clear.
#Justicefor RobertFuller Went Viral Online
According to a published report by Vibe, #JusticeforRobertFuller began trending on Twitter as the news about his death went viral on different social media. Many also believed that Fuller was a victim of a lynching.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Department said that they have been in contact with Fuller's family and are continuing their investigation into the different angles and circumstances of Robert Fuller's death.
History of Discrimination in Palmdale
Palmdale has a long history of discrimination. According to the Department of Justice in a published report by CBS Los Angeles, the county has reached into a $2 million settlement to resolve allegations that they discouraged Black people from living in the community.
Another incident of discrimination also happened in 2019, where a Palmdale middle school teacher was placed on leave twice after using racial slurs to the Latinos. In a published report last year, a student shared that the teacher also used hate speech and derogatory language targeting the Latinos.
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