Homeless man shot dead by US police was a convicted bank robber

People protest against the killing of a homeless man by police in Los Angeles, California, March 3, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Caught on video filmed by a bystander that circulated widely on the Internet, the shooting triggered protests and calls by civil rights activists for a special police commission hearing on police use of force on skid row.

Critics said it highlighted heavy-handed tactics routinely used by police in dealing with homeless people, many of whom suffer psychiatric problems.

Police Chief Charlie Beck said all the officers involved had been trained, some extensively, in handling mental illness on the job, and appeared to have "acted compassionately up until the time that force was required."

About 200 protesters gathered on Tuesday at the site on skid row, a blighted mile-square area downtown inhabited by some 3,500 homeless people, where the man known on the streets by the nickname "Africa" was slain.

Beating drums, blowing whistles and chanting "You can't kill all of us, you can't kill Africa," the crowd marched to LAPD headquarters for a rally.

"People outside of skid row now know what we've been saying for years," said Jeff Page, a skid row activist and resident. "LAPD has bully tactics, improper training, excessive force, abuse of power and human rights violations."

The head of a rescue mission adjacent to the shooting scene told Reuters on Monday that the man had been living in a tent outside the mission for weeks and had a history of violent, erratic behavior.