Several hundred residents line up for meeting in Westlake to ease tensions after LAPD shooting
September 8, 2010 | 6:50 pm

Several hundred people were lining up Wednesday evening to enter a multipurpose room at a Westlake middle school, where top Los Angeles police officials and consul generals from three countries were expected to address residents in the wake of a deadly police shooting that has sparked violent protests in the heavily immigrant neighborhood.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and the consul generals from Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua were scheduled to host a town hall with residents at John Leichty Middle School.

Officials are hoping to restore calm in the wake of two days of violent protests after the Sunday afternoon fatal shooting of a Guatemalan immigrant by an LAPD officer.

Police said Manuel Jamines, 37, threatened passersby and three bike patrol officers with a knife and refused commands to drop the weapon. Jamines suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, the coroner's office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 6th Street and Union Avenue.

"The hope is that the people who are upset with the shooting will feel more comfortable with the process," said LAPD spokeswoman Mary Grady. "If they still want to protest, they can protest peacefully."

Los Angeles police were checking bags and purses as people filed into the room. Inside, the standing-room-only crowd included mothers pushing children in strollers and representatives from local community organizations.



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