Shooting sparks new LA tension

LOS ANGELES - Race relations are again under strain here after a white officer from the Los Angeles Police Department shot dead a black man on the day after the city's new police chief was publicly sworn in, writes Phil Reeves

The incident occurred several miles from one of the flashpoints of the recent Los Angeles riots, and led to a tense stand-off between the police and an angry crowd of about 200 people.

The new police chief, Willie Williams, the first black to head the force, attempted to quell outrage in the black community by promising a 'fair and equitable' investigation into the shooting.