Dozens of protesters gathered in Pasadena on Friday night after police officers used a Taser and physical restraints on a man who later died.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had been called to the scene around 4 AM to investigate the death in the 200 block of Orange Grove Boulevard.

At the scene of sheriff's homicide investigation, a woman who identified herself as the mother of the man's children sobbed as she described seeing the man die in front of her.  Shainie Lindsay identified him as Reginald Thomas, 36, saying they have four children together and that she is pregnant with a fifth.

Lindsay said , "He called the police on himself. He wanted help,". She said that Thomas was "dysfunctional" and bipolar, and had previous run-ins with police befor.

Pasadena police said that officers were called to the residence at 2:20 AM for a "domestic disturbance with a suspect at the location armed with a knife."

The man did not comply with officers' orders and tried to "re-enter an occupied apartment," according to a Pasadena Police Department news release. After a Taser was used on the man, a fight ensued.

Late Friday morning, sheriff's homicide Capt. Steven Katz spoke at a chaotic scene outside the apartment complex, where neighbors and reporters asked for details.

One man shouted at him, asking for his job description and another repeating "stop sacrificing black men." Others angrily yelled at officers.

By Prakriti Neogi