Footage of LA police shooting a homeless man dead on the street posted to Facebook

SHOCKING video footage of police officers shooting a homeless man dead in downtown Los Angeles after he refused orders to leave his tent has been posted on Facebook.

The footage was shot by LA resident Anthony Blackbu and has been viewed more than three million times in less than 24 hours. The sound quality is so clear that most of the distressing — and graphic — verbal exchanges can be heard clearly.

Witnesses told the LA Times that a scuffle had broken out after a group of officers arrived to enforce a court order evicting the victim, known only by his street name “Africa”, from his sleeping tent.

According to 29-year-old Dennis Hoe, Africa had been in the throes of an argument with another street sleeper inside his tent when police arrived at about midday on Sunday.

Mr Hoe said a group of five to six officers ordered Africa out of his tent. When he refused, they dragged him out and tasered him before tackling him to the ground. But the homeless man struggled to his feet and lashed out. That’s when at least one officer fired up to seven shots, Mr Hoe said.

“It’s sad,” he told the Times. “There’s no justification to take somebody’s life.”

Another witness, Lonnie Franklin, 53, said police “went straight to lethal force” as soon as Africa got up.

But two others who saw the incident said they had seen Africa punching and kicking police, at one stage reaching for one of the officer’s weapons.

One of them, 38-year-old Jose Gil, 38, said he heard someone shout: “Gun, gun, he’s got my gun!” just before the shooting began.

Five gunshots can be heard in Mr Blackbu’s video although witnesses, such as Mr Hoe, reported hearing at least two more. The victim has yet to be formally identified.

Police Commission President Steve Soboroff, who saw the footage on social media, told the Times he found it difficult viewing.

“My heart just started pounding just watching it,” Mr Soboroff said. “I feel the adrenaline. These situations are just so horrific.”

Investigators must now try to establish whether officers were justified in using deadly force — in particular whether Africa did in fact try to grab a police service weapon.

Video is graphic and contains profanity