Encounter With 'Erratic' Black Man Ends With Officer-Involved Shooting in El Cajon: PD

He put his hand in his pocket, pulled out an object and pointed it at police, effectively committing suicide

A black man was shot in an encounter with El Cajon Police Tuesday, multiple witnesses said, while a woman wailed nearby, demanding to know why police shot her brother.

Hours later, police officers told NBC 7 San Diego the man, now identified as Alfred Olango, was acting erratically and failed to comply, although they did not release details on the specific threat he presented to officers.

The community is approximately 30 miles east of downtown San Diego.

One witness recalled seeing an officer fire five rounds. Another man said police fired Olango who had his hands out to his side. A manager inside a nearby restaurant said he refused to remove his arms from his side. Police said witness video showed Olango did not have his hands in the air.

Witnesses questioned the police motives in the shooting. Crowds gathering by the scene of the shooting began chanting, demanding answers from police.

One witness at a local restaurant told NBC 7 police came and took away their phones following the incident.

"I didn’t hear any command ‘Halt’, ‘Stop’ or ‘I’ll shoot,’" said one witness identified as George. "I didn’t hear any command or yelling. I didn’t hear the man say anything. Next thing I see ‘Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow’ – five shots.”

Police Shot El Cajon Suspect Minutes After Arriving at Scene

El Cajon Police spokesman Rob Ransweiler said police responded to a radio call of a 30-year-old "erratic subject."

Ransweiler said, Olango did not comply but would not say if the man had a weapon. "I have the information," Ransweiler said. "It’s an ongoing investigation, so I’m not releasing details of the investigation.”

One video posted to FB shows a woman, identified as Olango's sister, crying. In the video, she’s heard saying: “I called you to help me but you killed my brother.”  “Why couldn’t you guys tase him? Why, why, why, why?” the woman cries out.

Michael Ray Rodriguez witnessed the shooting as it unfolded right in front of him. “When I seen the suspect, he had his hands up,” Rodriguez said holding his arms out to the side. "I seen two officers with their firearm on him." "The man’s hands are up. No shirt," he added. "He didn’t have no shirt."

The suspect's sister said she was encouraging her brother to do what police were telling him to do; she indicated to NBC 7 that her brother was not showing his hands.  Police said witness video showed Olango did not have his hands in the air.

Original report here


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