US: Black man shot dead in San Diego just after police arrived

[webfact]

Black man shot dead in California just after police arrived

By JULIE WATSON and ANDREW DALTON

 

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Police in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon shot and killed a black man a minute after arriving near a strip mall to investigate a report of a mentally unstable person walking in and out of traffic, an official said Wednesday.

 

El Cajon Police Department spokesman Lt. Rob Ransweiler said two officers arrived at the scene at about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday. Ransweiler says the shooting happened at 2:11 p.m.

 

He said police received the report about the mentally unstable person at 12:57 p.m. but did not immediately respond because they had other calls for service.

 

Police have said the man refused to comply with instructions to remove a hand from his pants pocket, paced back and forth, then rapidly drew an object from the pocket, placed both hands together and extended them in a "shooting stance." The officers simultaneously fired a handgun and an electric stun gun.

 

The victim was identified as Alfred Olango, a refugee from Uganda, as dozens of demonstrators protesting his killing gathered outside the police station in El Cajon, holding signs that read "No Killer Cops!" and chanting "no justice, no peace," and "black lives matter."

 

Agnes Hassan, originally from Sudan, described Olango as an educated man with mental problems. She said she spent time in a refugee camp with Olango and that both of them suffered getting to the United States.

 

The man died after one El Cajon officer fired an electronic stun gun and another officer simultaneously fired his firearm several times, El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis told reporters at a news conference late Tuesday night. Davis did not describe the object, but he acknowledged it was not a weapon.

 

Christopher Rice-Wilson, associate director of the civil rights group Alliance San Diego, questioned why one of the officers felt non-lethal force was appropriate while the other did not. Both officers have been put on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, per department policy.

 

Rice-Wilson was among those who identified Olango on Wednesday. Police Lt. Rob Ransweiler said he could not confirm the victim's name but said he was in his 30s and believed to be from Uganda.

 

Some protesters said Tuesday night that Olango was shot while his hands were raised in the air. Police disputed that and produced a frame from a cellphone video taken by a witness that appeared to show the man in the "shooting stance" as two officers approached with weapons drawn at a strip mall.

 

The fatal shooting happened just weeks after black men were shot and killed by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, where violent protests broke out.

 

Candles and flowers were left Wednesday at the shooting scene, near bloodstains on the pavement.

 

Olango often hung around the strip mall and at times seemed "agitated but he was never aggressive toward me," said Vincent Hauer, who works at a nearby convenience store and sometimes bought the man food or gave him a few dollars.

 

Davis urged the community to remain calm and said the investigation will be thorough.

 

"This will be transparent," he said. "This will be looked at by multiple sets of eyes, and not just ours."

 

Police said they were called to the strip mall shortly after 2 p.m. by the victim's sister, who said he was "not acting like himself" and walking in traffic. The man refused "multiple" orders to take his hand from his pocket, then was shot after pulling out the object that authorities declined to describe, police said.

 

When detectives arrived, police say a female witness came forward and voluntarily provided cellphone video of the incident. Authorities released the single frame from it but not the video. El Cajon officers do not wear body cameras.

 

Other videos quickly surfaced showing the aftermath. In one posted to Facebook, an unidentified woman is heard telling police at the scene that the man was ordered to take his hand out of his pocket.

 

"I said: 'Take your hand out your pocket, baby, or they're going to shoot you.' He said 'no, no, no,' " the woman said. "When he lifted his hand out ... he did have something in his hand but it wasn't no gun, and that's when they shot him."

 

Another woman on the video wearing hospital-style work clothing identified herself as the victim's sister. She shrieked and cried, telling officers that she had called them to help her brother, who she described as mentally ill.

 

"I just called for help, and you came and killed him," she said.

 

Michael Ray Rodriguez was among witnesses who said the man had his hands in the air. He said that he was driving from his apartment complex past the shooting scene and saw a shirtless black man with his hands raised.

 

The officer "let go of the trigger and shot him again and again," Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

 

El Cajon is about 15 miles northeast of San Diego and has a population of about 100,000.

 

It is 69 percent white and 6 percent black, according to 2010 census figures, and has become home for many refugees fleeing Iraq and, more recently, Syria.

___

Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-29

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

A Darwin award winner here.

These protesters need to get a grip. Sometimes it's justified when someone gets shot.

Learn to pick your battles. Or perhaps they just enjoy the riot party and free excuse to loot.

[impulse]

39 minutes ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

A Darwin award winner here.

These protesters need to get a grip. Sometimes it's justified when someone gets shot.

Learn to pick your battles. Or perhaps they just enjoy the riot party and free excuse to loot.

 

I agree with you about "pick your battles", but I suspect a lot of these protests about justified shoots are the result of years (decades?) of pent up frustration.

 

I've lived in towns where the police department was racist and corrupt.  Though I often don't agree with their methods, I do understand their anger.

 

While it's fortunate that there aren't many killings that truly justify the protests, it's also a shame that there are very few constructive, non-violent outlets for the anger and frustration that get much media coverage (never mind any real reform) nowadays.  Break a few windows, burn some cars, steal some big screen TVs and all of a sudden, they're getting heard.  Shouldn't work that way, but it often does.

Edited September 29, 2016 by impulse

[chilli42]

I understand that in a country where guns are easily available, and in many states you are allowed to carry concealed weapons, the police are on edge and often over react.  That said, the first reaction to any provocation can not be to pump 3 or 4 rounds into a kill zone at close range.  Certainly being in law enforcement entails risk.  That risk can be mitigated by using a taser or targeting less lethal body parts as a first recourse.  If these people have no balls for taking risk then they should not be in law enforcement.

[Scotwight]

3 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

I understand that in a country where guns are easily available, and in many states you are allowed to carry concealed weapons, the police are on edge and often over react.  That said, the first reaction to any provocation can not be to pump 3 or 4 rounds into a kill zone at close range.  Certainly being in law enforcement entails risk.  That risk can be mitigated by using a taser or targeting less lethal body parts as a first recourse.  If these people have no balls for taking risk then they should not be in law enforcement.

I don't think cops particularly brave.  Brave is unarmed teachers who face the thugs in class every day.  If your a black guy in the US and see a cop - find a wall and lean against it with arms out and legs spread till the cops leave.  

[GinBoy2]

Apart from the racial aspect, I tend to focus on the mental illness side of this.

 

Many years ago when I was still in Northern California, local cops shot and killed a 17 year old boy, who was white by the way.

 

His mother had called the police for 'help' after he experienced a psychotic break and threatened her with a kitchen knife. The kid then hid himself in the families dingy.

 

When the cops arrived, they tried to get him out of the boat, when he wouldn't drop the knife, shot and killed him. There are other non lethal ways to deal with the mentally ill, especially a 17 year old mentally ill boy!

Edited September 29, 2016 by GinBoy2

[CharlieK]

56 minutes ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

A Darwin award winner here.

These protesters need to get a grip. Sometimes it's justified when someone gets shot.

Learn to pick your battles. Or perhaps they just enjoy the riot party and free excuse to loot.

 

This was not a protester, he was a mentally unstable person and the police shot him. Must be open season on African Americans! 

[Gary A]

If I had been that cop, I would have shot the guy. The device the dead guy was holding looked very much like a zip gun. A zip gun can kill you just as dead as a powerful hand gun. In case you don't know what a zip gun is, it's a home made tube with bullet cartridge in it. The cop had absolutely no time to make up his mind. If the dead guy was so harmless, why didn't his family take care of him  and forget about calling the cops? Since the cops were called they had to think he was dangerous.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

41 minutes ago, CharlieK said:

 

This was not a protester, he was a mentally unstable person and the police shot him. Must be open season on African Americans! 

Yeah I read the article.

My comments about the protesters picking their battles were referring to the those that were protesting the shooting of the unstable (or possibly wigged out on meth) person that got shot.

[Johnniey]

This is common in the USA, quite disgusting for a so-called developed country. 

 

I saw not too long ago a black man with a knife getting shot about 40 times by heaps of cops.

[Scotwight]

1 minute ago, Johnniey said:

This is common in the USA, quite disgusting for a so-called developed country. 

 

I saw not too long ago a black man with a knife getting shot about 40 times by heaps of cops.

Where?

[Anthony5]

No doubt the police corps must be proud now.

 

In one word, disgusting

[Johnniey]

2 minutes ago, Anthony5 said:

No doubt the police corps must be proud now.

 

In one word, disgusting

ANYONE condoning the legality of guns in the US should be utterly ashamed. it's an epidemic. Remember that most of the public are on drugs too, either legal or illegal. 

[DM07]

Oh...he was ALONE, mentally unstable, a refugee AND black!

A total threat to society and a bunch of cops with guns!

The fact that his sister called the cops for help - which was obviously stupid of her- was basically a "shoot to kill" - order, because that is why you call the cops for help!

And some peoples only help, is to be put down!

>bitter sarcasm- mode off<

[goldenbrwn1]

Wow that was so &lt;deleted&gt;##ed up. Excuse my French , it takes a lot to shock me. And here in the UK we have black lives matter protests about UK police! ( which is an absolute joke)  Surely they had stun guns?? So many ways that could of been dealt with. I understand it's a different ball game to be a police officer in the US but there are lots of situations where they could learn a lot from the UK for the use of non lethal force. Again that was shocking.

My shock refers to the homeless man being shot by the firing squad.

Edited September 29, 2016 by goldenbrwn1

[Strange]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Michael Ray Rodriguez was among witnesses who said the man had his hands in the air. He said that he was driving from his apartment complex past the shooting scene and saw a shirtless black man with his hands raised.

 

The officer "let go of the trigger and shot him again and again," Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

 

El Cajon is about 15 miles northeast of San Diego and has a population of about 100,000.

 

It is 69 percent white and 6 percent black, according to 2010 census figures, and has become home for many refugees fleeing Iraq and, more recently, Syria.

 

Noted. 

 

[Gary A]

Some time back the police had a policy of stop and search. It was VERY effective at getting guns off the street. Unfortunately the bleeding heart liberals got that stopped.

[Strange]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

I agree with you about "pick your battles", but I suspect a lot of these protests about justified shoots are the result of years (decades?) of pent up frustration.

 

I've lived in towns where the police department was racist and corrupt.  Though I often don't agree with their methods, I do understand their anger.

 

While it's fortunate that there aren't many killings that truly justify the protests, it's also a shame that there are very few constructive, non-violent outlets for the anger and frustration that get much media coverage (never mind any real reform) nowadays.  Break a few windows, burn some cars, steal some big screen TVs and all of a sudden, they're getting heard.  Shouldn't work that way, but it often does.

 

They would be taken WAY more seriously if peaceful protest was their agenda. Stealing a TV is hardly a way to get attention. 

 

 

[Gary A]

52 minutes ago, Johnniey said:

This is common in the USA, quite disgusting for a so-called developed country. 

 

I saw not too long ago a black man with a knife getting shot about 40 times by heaps of cops.

 

Do you suppose it is possible this would have had an entirely different outcome if he had obeyed the police?

[Johnniey]

4 minutes ago, Gary A said:

 

Do you suppose it is possible this would have had an entirely different outcome if he had obeyed the police?

Yes, they wouldn't have shot 46 bullets into him. I guess they like being obeyed and think of themselves judge jury and firing squad. 

 

Do you condone the action by the police?

Edited September 29, 2016 by Johnniey

[Scotwight]

30 minutes ago, Johnniey said:

ANYONE condoning the legality of guns in the US should be utterly ashamed. it's an epidemic. Remember that most of the public are on drugs too, either legal or illegal. 

The guy in the video you posted had a knife.  What do guns have to do with it?

[Johnniey]

1 minute ago, Scotwight said:

The guy in the video you posted had a knife.  What do guns have to do with it?

All the police had/have guns. Why do you think that is?

 

 

[Gary A]

6 minutes ago, Johnniey said:

Yes, they wouldn't have shot 46 bullets into him. I guess they like being obeyed and think of themselves judge jury and firing squad. 

 

Do you condone the action by the police?

 

Sad events like that are caused by idiots who have been taught to have no respect for the police.It's very surprising that it doesn't happen more often. When I was a young man, I would have NEVER considered running from the police if they had yelled at me to stop. Organizations that have taught those morons to have no respect are to blame.

[Johnniey]

14 minutes ago, Gary A said:

 

Sad events like that are caused by idiots who have been taught to have no respect for the police.It's very surprising that it doesn't happen more often. When I was a young man, I would have NEVER considered running from the police if they had yelled at me to stop. Organizations that have taught those morons to have no respect are to blame.

So disobeying the police deserves death?

 

10 armed police should manage to arrest a guy with a knife.

 

They like using their guns, 2nd ammendment or whatever

[Grubster]

3 hours ago, chilli42 said:

I understand that in a country where guns are easily available, and in many states you are allowed to carry concealed weapons, the police are on edge and often over react.  That said, the first reaction to any provocation can not be to pump 3 or 4 rounds into a kill zone at close range.  Certainly being in law enforcement entails risk.  That risk can be mitigated by using a taser or targeting less lethal body parts as a first recourse.  If these people have no balls for taking risk then they should not be in law enforcement.

If you taser a man that is doped up and pulling a gun you will be a dead man with balls.

[Grubster]

If this Rodriguez guy is proven wrong about "hands raised" he should be charged with a crime of some sort.

[JHolmesJr]

So many cops and not one could walk up to him and give him a slap for acting like a &lt;deleted&gt;….how about shooting to incapacitate rather than this firing squad approach?

[Gary A]

2 hours ago, Johnniey said:

So disobeying the police deserves death?

 

10 armed police should manage to arrest a guy with a knife.

 

They like using their guns, 2nd ammendment or whatever

 

Cooperating with the police is always the best option and that would eliminate life and death situations. Unfortunately morons don't understand that.

[sirineou]

 Cops might need extra training in deescalating situations, but the general public needs training from their parents to respect the law, and those representing it.

Cops have a very difficult job to do,I requires respect, if not for the individual wearing the badge, the concept the badge represents.

in the process of the very difficult job they have to do, they require cooperation. 

Two week ago, when I was pulled over for speeding by a state trooper in the US, 

 when the trooper asked me."do you know why I puled you over"  I did not lie to him, I did not try to give him a sad story excuse, I did not try to give him a hard time. He was doing the job for which he was hired to do, and if I had his job I would be doing the same thing.

I said , "yes sir, I was speeding, No excuse I was stupid,and irresponsible, I dont know what I was thinking" .

I gave him my licence and registration, he went in his car and checked it, come back and said. "slow down and drive safer sir" and went on his way, no ticket no drama, just mutual respect.

The trooper was an African American.

 

[ClutchClark]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I agree with you about "pick your battles", but I suspect a lot of these protests about justified shoots are the result of years (decades?) of pent up frustration.

 

I've lived in towns where the police department was racist and corrupt.  Though I often don't agree with their methods, I do understand their anger.

 

While it's fortunate that there aren't many killings that truly justify the protests, it's also a shame that there are very few constructive, non-violent outlets for the anger and frustration that get much media coverage (never mind any real reform) nowadays.  Break a few windows, burn some cars, steal some big screen TVs and all of a sudden, they're getting heard.  Shouldn't work that way, but it often does.

 

Whats ironic about your claim is the news tries so hard to not show the violence and destruction of property you claim is necessary for coverage.

 

the news continues to portray these riots as peaceful demonstrations.

 

Howabout the witness Rodriguez who swears the mans hands were up and not in a shooting stance?

 

Frightening that in the absence of video the claim of Rodriguez would be enough to cause more riots by BLM who claim police always lie.