Protests broke out Tuesday night in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon after police shot and killed a 30-year-old black man Tuesday afternoon, but remained peaceful overnight.
Police say 30-year-old Alfred Olango was acting “erratically” when officers shot and killed him in El Cajon, Calif., on Tuesday afternoon. The name of the Ej Cajon Police Department officer has not been released.
According to activists, police knew they were responding to a 5150 call when they killed Olango. A “5150” call is defined as: “When a person, as a result of a mental disorder, is a danger to himself/herself or others or is gravely disabled, a peace officer, a member of the attending staff, or another professional person designated by the county may with probable cause take the person into custody and place him or her in a facility for a 72-hour treatment and evaluation.”
Early witness accounts had said Olango was having a seizure or other sort of medical or mental health emergency when he was shot. El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis confirmed that Olango was not armed with a handgun when shot.
However, at a press conference Tuesday night, police say Olango hid his hand in his pants pocket while pacing back and forth. He then took an “object” from his pocket and extended it toward an officer taking “what appeared to be a shooting stance, putting the object in the officer’s face.”
Police claim that the man “was acting erratically and failed to comply, although they did not release details on the specific threat he presented to officers,” NBC 7 reported.
NBC 7 also reported that the entire shooting was captured on a mobile phone video from the drive-through of a nearby restaurant. One witness reported that the police came into the restaurant and took away their cellphones following the shooting.
Protesters storm police tape of officer-involved shooting in #ElCajon. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/X8KY1wyznU— Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) September 28, 2016
"Hands up, don't shoot!" -People chanting to officers. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/VXFypn2xN0— Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) September 28, 2016
The prayer circle at the scene of the officer-involved shooting in El Cajon. @CBS8 pic.twitter.com/qY34lAXTSE
— Marcella Lee (@MarcellaNews8) September 28, 2016
Police Express anger at police after officer-involved shooting of black man in El Cajon. @KUSINews pic.twitter.com/rPHnwEMxWM— Ashlie Rodriguez (@AshlieKUSI) September 27, 2016
Tempers rising as police have still not released information #ElCajon #BlackLivesMatter #TheSWCSun pic.twitter.com/uPzix97ZQv— Jeanette Sandoval (@JeanetteSandov1) September 28, 2016
“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.”
In a video posted to Facebook, a woman identified as Olango’s sister can be heard saying, “I called you to help me but you killed my brother. … Why couldn’t you guys tase him? Why, why, why, why?” she cries.
