The Rev. Jesse Jackson called the shooting of an unarmed driver by sheriff's deputies "a hate crime" after meeting with the man and his family.
Jackson said he visited Winston Hayes, who is still in the hospital recovering from four gunshot wounds, to offer spiritual, emotional and legal counseling and called on the FBI to investigate the incident.
"This is in fact a hate crime," Jackson said Sunday. "It is a violation of Mr. Hayes' civil rights."
Deputies fired more than 120 rounds at Hayes' SUV Monday night at the end of a brief pursuit. A deputy also was wounded.
The shooting, caught on videotape, sparked anger in the Compton community. The deputies have expressed their remorse to residents, but not to Hayes.
Some deputies thought Hayes matched the description of a suspect who had shot two deputies, while others thought he was trying to ram them, according to a preliminary investigation by the sheriff's department. Officials later said Hayes did not shoot at any deputies.