[Harris:] L.A. residents, furious over the police shooting of a Guatemalan laborer, gave the police chief an real earful last night at a town hall meeting. KCAL's Serene Branson reports.
[Serene Branson, Kcal-tv Correspondent:] Minutes into the meeting, the crowd booed LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and chanted "justice." Guatemalan native Manuel Jamines was fatally shot Sunday afternoon at 6th and Union Avenue. Police say he was drunk and threatening officers and women with this knife. And when he didn't obey commands to drop it, a bike officer fired. Chief Beck read what he said was a woman's statement to police.
[Chief Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police:] She referred to the officers as her angels that descended from heaven and she said and she said that the officers saved her life.
[Unidentified Female:] I know Mr. Jamines should not have had a knife, but Coparti Hernandez should not have had a gun and should never have one again. Why haven't you even suspended him?
[Branson:] A man claiming to be Jamines' relative spoke in Spanish.
[Unidentified Male:] The question is, why did they have to shoot him instead of just disarm him?
[Beck:] We don't teach police officers to take knives away from people.
[Branson:] Jose Larrios claimed the officer was known in the community.
[Jose Felix Larrios, Westlake District Resident:] I'm very angry because the officer that killed Manuel, the people is the officer is very bad person. Very bad.
[Branson:] Why?
[Larrios:] That's every day. He every day he working in the area. Many incidents, him.
[Branson:] The past two nights, tensions escalated in the streets. Officers in riot gear kept a rowdy and destructive crowd under control. They hurled bottles, set dumpster fires and charged LAPD's Rampart Station.
[Unidentified Male:] You guys need to stop portraying my people like we're the ones causing all the ruckus around this community because there's a lot of people that are just waiting for an opportunity to erupt so they can start another L.A. riot.
[Beck:] I promise you a fair and transparent investigation. While that investigation continues, we have peace in our streets.
[Harris:] OK, that was Serene Branson from CNN affiliate KCAL with that report. And just in, a programming note, tomorrow, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, we're expecting President Obama to hold a live news conference. And, of course, we will bring that to you live. That's tomorrow, 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.
[Ali Velshi, Cnn Anchor:] Loved the watermelon thing you do. I love, Tony, that once in a while we can actually just get away from the news for a second.
[Harris:] Yes.
[Velshi:] Good to see you. Have yourself a good afternoon, Tony Harris.