Black man found hanging from a tree stirs outrage in the U.S.

Dozens of people gathered at Palmadale City Council chambers Friday where a press conference on the death of a 24-year-old black man named Robert Fuller who was found hanging from a tree in the north of Los Angeles County was held.

The death has stirred outrage among community members who said authorities were too quick to draw conclusions about what could have been a hate crime.

Robert Fuller's death has stirred an outcry among the community and social media.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) was still investigating the death of Fuller, who was found by a passerby hanging from a tree a block from the city hall in Palmdale, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles, at about 3:40 a.m. on Wednesday.

The reaction to the death of 24-year-old Robert Fuller showed how high tensions around race and policing are running in the United States after George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

Captain Ron Shaffer told a televised community meeting on Friday that it appeared Fuller "died by suicide."

That comment drew an angry response and chants of "speak the truth" and "no peace," with audience members demanding to know why LASD called it a suicide when the coroner's report said the case had been "deferred pending additional investigation."

People gathered at the city hall to call for a thorough investigation. /Reuters

Palmdale City Manager JJ Murphy said in a statement on Thursday he received confirmation Fuller's death was a suicide. He did not give details, but said many people in the community were "suffering extreme mental anguish" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Sadly, it is not the first such incident since the COVID-19 pandemic began," the city said in a statement that included information on resources for mental health. "The city remains committed to addressing mental health issues during these difficult times. We are in this together."

A full autopsy is expected to be conducted in the short future, the Sheriff's Department said.

On social media, the hashtag #JusticeforRobertFuller trended on Twitter with users calling for a full investigation of what some speculated was a cover-up of a lynching.

Kim Kardashian West, the reality TV star, urged people to sign a petition to demand a thorough investigation on Friday.

(With input from agencies)