Police Suggest The Death Of Black Activist Found Hanging From A Tree Near City Hall Was A Suicide

A young prominent African-American activist that has publicly campaigned against racism and neo-nazi groups has been found dead hanging from a tree in Los Angeles. The body of Robert Fuller was found in Poncitlan Square behind city hall at 4am by a passer-by.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

A young man was lynched in yesterday. His body was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, CA. He was only 23 years old. His family is missing him. They want answers. They want JUSTICE. His name is Robert Fuller.

SAY HIS NAME 💔😭#JusticeForRobertFuller pic.twitter.com/UeHIsDS64L

— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 12, 2020

Investigators have so far played down any accusations of foul-play indicating that they believe the death was suicide. Just two days ago, and only a few days after Mr. Fuller’s body was found, his half-brother, Jammal Boone, was shot dead by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department – a woman also in the car was also shot by police while a 7 year-old girl was uninjured.

Responding to the death of Mr. Fuller, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement saying:

"On June 10, 2020 at approximately 3:39 A.M, a passer-by noticed a male (later identified as 24 year-old Robert L. Fuller) hanging from a tree in the 38300 block of 9th Street East, in the city of Palmdale. Personnel from the adjacent fire station (Station 24) responded and determined the victim was deceased. Deputies established a containment of the scene and representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. Although the investigation is on-going, it appears Mr. Fuller, tragically, committed suicide. A full autopsy is anticipated in the immediate future."

Lt. Brandon Dean with the Palmdale sheriff’s office further backed up the belief that the death was suicide, he stated:

"From initial investigation of the scene and everything we’ve recovered, all signs right now lead us to believe this was a suicide. Without going into too much detail, it doesn’t appear there was any sign of a fight or struggle."

Many though have begun to spread the idea that there exists the possibility of foul-play in the death of Mr. Fuller – particularly given his work as an anti-fascist and anti-racist activist and the huge tensions currently existing in the United States. Some have questioned why someone who had devoted much of their life to anti-racism would end their life at such a crucial juncture in American history.

Sadly, the form his death took also raised eyebrows. The hanging of black men from trees was a common occurrence from the mid-1800s even up to the 1960s, particularly in the American south – known as ‘lynching’ it is estimated that many thousands of African Americans died in this fashion as a way of extra-judicial mob justice and to spread fear among the black community. Many such acts were the work of the Ku Klux Klan.

Celebrity Kim Kardashian has called for a full investigation into the death of Fuller and a GoFund me page has raised well over $150,000 for his grieving family. We await further developments.