A black man’s body was found hanging from a tree last Wednesday in Poncitlán Square in Palmdale, California, which is located about an hour north of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement on its Facebook page:
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department had initially stated that Robert Fuller had died by suicide, but his family disputes the finding and believe he was lynched and has demanded a full investigation into what happened.
Read full statement here: Palmdale (@PalmdaleCity) June 13, 2020
“The City has already reached out to Mr. Fuller’s family, offering help and support, and will do everything possible to assist Mr. Fuller’s family during this difficult time as a complete vetting of his death is investigated,” the statement said.
According to a story in The Los Angeles Times, “Amidst the current racial tension and following the protesting the night prior to his body being discovered we were truly troubled to learn of his passing, particularly of how his body was discovered,” Harsch’s family wrote in a statement.
“There are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a Black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesn’t sit well with us right now,” Harsch’s family said.
