Officials ID man fatally shot by police in California

WASHINGTON

The Los Angeles coroner's office on Sunday identified the black man fatally shot by police during a pursuit in South Los Angeles the previous day.

Carnell Snell, 18, was killed by an officer after bailing out of a car, according to the Los Angeles Times. He then fled on foot until police caught up with him in what relatives said was the back yard of his home.

Details of the shooting behind that house remain a mystery. Officials have not disclosed their account of the events, but the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said a handgun was recovered at the scene.

Police initially attempted to pull over the vehicle Snell was in because it paper plates and officers suspected it might have been stolen. The vehicle did not comply at that time and the occupants fled on foot prompting the pursuit, the LAPD said in a statement.

Snell's death drew dozens of people onto the streets of South Los Angeles and nearby Hancock Park on Saturday evening.

The LAPD said on Twitter that the South Los Angeles protesters were "vocal, but peaceful".

Snell's death marks the third of black men in confrontations with police in Southern California in the past week.

Alfred was fatally shot in a San Diego suburb Tuesday. Police say he took a shooting stance after they arrived at the scene, prompting officers to open fire. He was holding an electronic cigarette device.

And Reginald Thomas died after he was fatally Friday in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena. Officials said he had a knife at the time.