WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department has sent mediators to Oakland, Calif., to help resolve tensions arising from the fatal New Year's Day shooting of an unarmed black man by a white transit police officer.

The officials are from the department's Community Relations Service, which was created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act to help resolve and prevent racial and ethnic conflict and violence.

DOJ notified California's U.S. senators and Rep. Barbara Lee on Thursday of the deployment, according to a department memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

The memo says Justice officials will "meet with law enforcement officials and African American community leaders in response to community racial tension." The officials will conduct an assessment and provide needed follow-up.