Robert Fuller's death was ruled a suicide without an investigation. Protesters are calling on the sheriff's department to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Witnesses say that Robert was seen in the back of a police cruiser hours before his death and that he was planning a trip to Las Vegas, something a suicidal person would not do. Cameras at the park and the nearby fire station were reportedly not working at the time of Fuller's death. ×
LA Chapter Leader...
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06/28/2020 - Byron Scott Adams leads the Pride and Black Lives Matter march down East Broadway street in Long Beach, California.
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6/19/2020 - Damita Goodall, 64, leads the Black Lives Matter march in Lancaster, CA. "We all need to live in peace and harmony and need to respect one another. Like what Dr. King said, 'not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character... to move toward better care of the earth and to each other.'"
06/20/2020 - Protestors gather at the Sheriff's station in Palmdale, California, to demand a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of Robert Fuller and the death of Robert's brother Terron Jamaal Boone, who was shot and killed by Sheriff's after being pulled over by an unmarked car.
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06/20/2020 - Sheriffs stand-off with protestors at the Palmdale, California Sheriff's Station. Protestors demand a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of Robert Fuller, and an end to police brutality and systemic racism.
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06/20/2020 - During a standoff at the Palmdale Sheriff's Station, T. Doucet asks, "Is he next? Is he next?" as she pointed to each of her children.
Protestors demand a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of Robert Fuller and the death of Robert's brother Terron Jamaal Boone, who was shot and killed by Sheriff's after being pulled over by an unmarked car. ×
06/20/2020 - During a standoff at the Palmdale Sheriff's Station, T. Doucet asks, "Is he next? Is he next?" as she pointed to each of her children.
Protestors demand a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of Robert Fuller and the death of Robert's brother Terron Jamaal Boone, who was shot and killed by Sheriff's after being pulled over by an unmarked car. ×
06/20/2020 - Protestors gather at the Sheriff's station in Palmdale, California, demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of Robert Fuller and to call for an end to police brutality.
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06/28/2020 - Pride and Black Lives Matter come together and march in the streets of Long Beach, California.
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06/27/2020 - Black Lives Matter protestors gather at Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale, California.
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06/28/2020 - Pride and Black Lives Matter come together and march in the streets of Long Beach, California, for equality and justice.
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06/28/2020 - Pride and Black Lives Matter come together and march in the streets of Long Beach, California.
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06/28/2020 - Pride and Black Lives Matter come together and march in the streets of Long Beach, California.
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06/27/2020 - Angelique, 24, protests for Black Lives Matter at the entrance to the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale, California. When asked why she was out protesting she replied, "America has changed a lot, but not racism."
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6/18/2020 - Ayinde Love speaks at a gathering of protestors and community members.
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6/18/2020 - The Escalante family have their portrait made at Poncitlán Square, where protestors call for the investigation for the death of Robert Fuller, a 24-year-old black man found hanging near City Hall.
Joaquin Escalante, 19, left, speaks on why he came out with his family, "The community needs it. We need to show support that these injustices aren't going to go unheard and that the community is going to be responsible for making sure that investigations are going to be done properly, that should have been done in the first place." ×
06/19/2020 -
- Center, holding a USA/PRIDE flag is Kimberly Calderone, 40, an Illinois native, protesting for Black Lives at the Sgt Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California. The "American Dream" is something that's not afforded to us all; it's a fairy tale. I was in debt when I was 18 to go to school.
6/20/2020 - A woman stands under the tree where on May 31, 2020, at about 7 am, the Victorville City Fire Department was dispatched to the Victorville City Library at 15011 Circle Drive where they discovered 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch deceased.
The family reached out to Victor Valley News with the following statement, “Our brother Malcolm Harsch died on May 31st. His cause of death has not been released to the family yet but we are concerned that his death will be labeled as a suicide, as this is what was communicated to us upon confirmation of his death on the morning of June 1st."
“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. He is an African-American man whose body was found hanging from a tree! The deputy who called to confirm his death asked questions about drug or alcohol use, he made a statement about how the coronavirus has 'hit people really hard' and said that a USB cord was used to hang himself."
“As most of us are in Ohio, we weren’t able to physically go to the location where he was found dead but did speak to a few people who were around at the time of the discovery. We were told that his 6 foot 3 inches long body wasn’t even dangling from the tree. There was blood on his shirt but there didn’t appear to be any physical implications at the scene to suggest that there was a struggle or any visible open wounds at that time. His body sat at the San Bernardino County Coroner for 12 days before an autopsy was performed. We understand that Victorville is a small city and have been reminded regularly that San Bernardino is very busy (as if we aren’t patient enough for necessary answers) but feel that our brother’s death will be waived off as a suicide to avoid any further media attention. Malcolm had very recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon. He didn’t seem to be depressed to anyone who truly knew him. EVERYONE who knew our brother was shocked to hear that he allegedly hung himself and don’t believe it to be true as well as the people who were there when his body was discovered. The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible. 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. We want justice not comfortable excuses.” - Saturday, June 13
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6/19/2020 - On Juneteenth, a father plays basketball with his daughter at Sgt Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California.
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6/19/2020 - On Juneteenth, a father plays basketball with his daughter at Sgt Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California.
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6/19/2020 - On Juneteenth, protestors gather after marching for Black Lives Matter to celebrate black independence day at Sgt. Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California.
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6/19/2020 - On Juneteenth, protestors gather after marching for Black Lives Matter to celebrate black independence day at Sgt. Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California.
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6/19/2020 - Alex (last name withheld), 26, from Central Los Angeles has his portrait made at Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, California, during a Black Lives Matter protest and Juneteenth celebration. Alex's sign shows a police officer wearing a KKK robe in the style of the famous Marilyn Monroe photograph.
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On May 31, 2020, at about 7 am, the Victorville City Fire Department was dispatched to the Victorville City Library at 15011 Circle Drive where they discovered 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch deceased nearby.
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6/17/2020 - A protestor wishing to remain unidentified holds the police tape that separated the protestors from the Palmdale Sheriff's Department.
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6/20/2020 - Isaiah Bonwell, 15, from Quartz Hill, California, raises a fist near the tree where Malcolm Harsch was found near the Victorville Public Library.
The Bonwell family packed and delivered over 100 meals for homeless people in Victorville before paying their respects for Mr. Harsch.
I asked Bonwell what his idea of the American Dream was; he said, "What I have been told is you need to be successful, own a business and get rich, create a family. But my dream is just to make my family happy and try to survive just being black or being a race or color."
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6/17/2020 - California City resident DB, right, and his family has their portrait made with his wife and newborn child. Standing in front of the tree where Robert Fuller was found, DB explained he was out protesting for the future of his newborn child.
