California police show videos of fatal shooting of black man

[rooster59]

California police show videos of fatal shooting of black man

JULIE WATSON, Associated Press
ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press

 

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Police released two videos Friday showing an officer fatally shooting an unarmed black man in a San Diego suburb and said they hoped showing the footage would ease escalating tensions.

 

The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Alfred Olango, 38, suddenly raised both hands to chest level and took what was described as a shooting stance.

 

The shots came less than a minute after police arrived at the scene in response to Olango's sister calling 911 and reporting he was acting erratically.

 

The videos were released after three nights of unruly and, at times, violent protests in El Cajon, and on the eve of a demonstration organized by clergy and supporters of Olango's family, who had pressured authorities to show the footage of the fatal encounter. On Thursday night, an officer was struck in the head by a brick hurled by a protester.

 

"Our only concern at this point was community safety," police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some — some — of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern."

 

The Rev. Shane Harris of the civil rights organization National Action Network said the low-quality videos, shot at a distance, didn't clarify what led to the shooting and said they're likely to make people angrier.

 

"What we saw today, that isn't enough," said Harris, who is assisting Olango's family.

 

In addition to the videos, police showed the 4-inch electronic cigarette device Olango had in his hands when he was shot.

 

A lawyer for the family said they welcomed the release of the videos, but he questioned the tactics used by Officer Richard Gonsalves. Olango had been reported to be mentally disturbed and unarmed and yet Gonsalves approached with his weapon out, Dan Gilleon said.

 

"It shows a cowboy with his gun drawn provoking a mentally disturbed person," Gilleon said.

 

The incident is the latest in a series of fatal shootings of black men that have roiled communities across the U.S. It came weeks after fatal shootings by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Olango, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the U.S. as a boy, had a criminal record that included drug and weapon charges but no violence. His family described him as a loving father and a joyful, happy person.

 

His mother said he suffered a mental breakdown recently after the death of his best friend. On Tuesday, his sister called 911 and reported he was acting strangely and walking into traffic by a strip mall.

 

The longer of the two videos released by police came from a surveillance camera in the drive-thru of a restaurant. It is roughly a minute, has no sound and police blurred out the heads of everyone in it.

 

Olango is seen walking through the parking lot and then stopping suddenly as Gonsalves approached, his weapon drawn at his side.

 

Olango, his right hand in his pants pocket, moved side to side and backed up toward a white pickup truck.

 

As Gonsalves moved in from the front, a second officer, Josh McDaniel, got out of a cruiser and approached from the side.

 

In the second video, taken on a cellphone by a witness in the drive-thru, Olango's sister is seen approaching Gonsalves from behind and a woman can be heard screaming at Olango to put up his hands and telling police not to shoot.

 

Olango then bent over and assumed the shooting stance and Gonsalves quickly fired four shots at close-range. A woman shrieked loudly as Olango fell forward.

 

That night, as an angry crowd protested outside police headquarters, Davis released a single image from the video showing Olango with his hands clasped in front and in the shooting stance. Police said he had ignored repeated orders to show his hands.

 

Davis defended the release and said it was intended to de-escalate tensions and correct what he felt was a "false narrative" that was developing. Some witnesses said Olango had his hands in the air and was begging not to be shot.

 

Olango's family and demonstrators demanded to see the full video, saying the single frame was selectively misleading to support the police version of events. They also questioned why it took them more than an hour to respond to three calls for help and then less than a minute to use deadly force.

 

Davis, who said the investigation was ongoing, did not address whether officers acted appropriately in how they responded to the incident.

 

Andre Branch, president of NAACP San Diego, commended the city for releasing video. "Full disclosure to the public builds trust, and it demonstrates respect," Branch said.

 

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-10-01

[mercman24]

why the need the shoot the guy 4 times, trigger happy s.o.b.

[ClutchClark]

3 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

why the need the shoot the guy 4 times, trigger happy s.o.b.

 

Why not 4 times? 

 

 

[ClutchClark]

"Our only concern at this point was community safety," police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some — some — of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern."

------------

 

This is a mistake on the part of the Chief to give into violent protester demands.

 

At what point will a news report actually call violent protesters what they really are--RIOTERS. 

[impulse]

My issue is that the police have the discretion to share the videos that they choose, and tight hole the ones they don't want to share.

 

That's kind of like letting the team coaches decide which of the instant replays the fans and the umpires get to see.  But with life and death consequences.

 

This time, it came down in favor of the cops.  But release of the videos should be controlled by someone that isn't going to be named in any lawsuits or criminal proceedings.

[ClutchClark]

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

My issue is that the police have the discretion to share the videos that they choose, and tight hole the ones they don't want to share.

 

That's kind of like letting the team coaches decide which of the instant replays the fans and the umpires get to see.  But with life and death consequences.

 

This time, it came down in favor of the cops.  But release of the videos should be controlled by someone that isn't going to be named in any lawsuits or criminal proceedings.

 

The videos in their entirity are presented as evidence at any lawsuit in a couurt of a law in front of a Judge (not an umpire because this is not a game) BUT you are saying that the police should be tried by social media and public opinion of rioters ?

 

That is neot the way our Country is designed to operate. 

 

The claimeas made by rioters that the dead man had his hands up and the Police released a still-shot to disprove that dangerous and reckless fallacy. But the rioters continue to riot so now the police release a video. Yet the rioters will still continue to riot. There is no appeasing rioters and BLM...why are they allowed to create havoc and terror in our streets ?

 

Edited October 1, 2016 by ClutchClark

[RuamRudy]

19 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

"Our only concern at this point was community safety," police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some — some — of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern."

------------

 

This is a mistake on the part of the Chief to give into violent protester demands.

 

At what point will a news report actually call violent protesters what they really are--RIOTERS. 

 

I am not sure that rioter is a necessarily pejorative term. Sure, there have been some riots enacted for shallow reasons (London riots of 2011, for example) but there are many examples of riots being a catalyst for positive change - when the ruling classes won't listen, sometimes there is no other way but to take direct, forceful action to get a collective point across.

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

The videos in their entirity are presented as evidence at any lawsuit BUT you are saying that the police should be tried by social media and public opinion of rioters ?

 

That is neot the way our Country is designed to operate. 

 

The claimeas made by rioters that the dead man had his hands up and the Police released a still-shot to disprove that dangerous and reckless fallacy. But the rioters continue to riot so now the police release a video. Yet the rioters will still continue to riot. There is no appeasing rioters and BLM...why are they allowed to create havoc and terror in our streets ?

 

 

2 separate issues.  

 

I'm saying we pay for the cops, and we allow them authority to create huge effects on people's lives in our name and we should get to judge whether their performance is acceptable.  We own the videos from the dash cams and the body cams.  Not the cops.  Not the mayor's office.  We, the people.

 

Edit:  To be clear, I'm not arguing that all videos should be released to the public.  But I am arguing that there's a fundamental conflict of interest when we put that discretion in the hands of people who may be facing lawsuits or criminal charges.

 

Edited October 1, 2016 by impulse

[ClutchClark]

4 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I am not sure that rioter is a necessarily pejorative term. Sure, there have been some riots enacted for shallow reasons (London riots of 2011, for example) but there are many examples of riots being a catalyst for positive change - when the ruling classes won't listen, sometimes there is no other way but to take direct, forceful action to get a collective point across.

 

The "Ruling Classes" ? 

 

Not sure what you are talking about but 1960 called and said they want their talking points back.

[ClutchClark]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

2 separate issues.  

 

I'm saying we pay for the cops, and we allow them authority to create huge effects on people's lives in our name and we should get to judge whether their performance is acceptable.  We own the videos from the dash cams and the body cams.  Not the cops.  Not the mayor's office.  We, the people.

 

 

There is a process, Mr Person, which works quite well. 

 

Evidence is first kept out of public view until any trial is complete so that jury pools are not tainted. After that process is complete then the information is released.

 

You don't need to know every bit of detail right now. You are just part of the audience like me and all these rioters.

Edited October 1, 2016 by ClutchClark

[impulse]

14 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

There is a process, Mr Person, which works wuite well. 

 

Evidence is first kept out of public view until any trial is complete so that juroes are not tainted. After that process is complete then the information is released.

 

You don't need to know every bit of detail right now. You are just part of the audience. 

 

If it worked that well, perhaps the Feds wouldn't have to be taking over control of dozens of corrupt cities and police departments.

 

And maybe there wouldn't be people rioting in the streets.  Or maybe we'd have torn the corrupt systems down decades ago, with the support of everyday people whose eyes are opened by the evidence we spectators don't ever get to see when the case files are sealed after the judicial process, as happens so often.

 

Edit:  Imagine the treasure trove of secret police evidence the Feds must have uncovered to take over control of a police department by consent decree.  Now, imagine the good citizens had that same evidence for the entire time the corruption was endemic.  I like to think that we, the people, may have done something before it got so bad the Feds had to come in.  If only we had the evidence.

Edited October 1, 2016 by impulse

[RuamRudy]

14 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

The "Ruling Classes" ? 

 

Not sure what you are talking about but 1960 called and said they want their talking points back.

 

I wasn't around in the 60s but I remember the poll tax riots in London - an event that British working class people should continue to celebrate for many years to come as it saw a positive change in government policy and, as a bonus, contributed to the fall of Thatcher. Basically, not all riots are bad.

Edited October 1, 2016 by RuamRudy

[Sakeopete]

Where are the Black Lives Matter group? No Walmart nearby to loot?

[RuamRudy]

14 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

Where are the Black Lives Matter group? No Walmart nearby to loot?

 

On the positive side, at least you don't try to hide your racism behind clever wordsmithing.

[phantomfiddler]

7 hours ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Why not 4 times? 

 

 

 

An irish cop would have shot him 3 times, to be sure to be sure to be sure !

[RuamRudy]

4 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

 

An irish cop would have shot him 3 times, to be sure to be sure to be sure !

 

After the killing of Jean Charles de Menenez on the London underground by an armed police officer, Private Eye had a rather grim cartoon:

 

Investigator: Why did you shoot the man seven times in the head?

Policeman: Because I ran out of bullets.

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, Sakeopete said:

Where are the Black Lives Matter group? No Walmart nearby to loot?

 

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

On the positive side, at least you don't try to hide your racism behind clever wordsmithing.

 

Where is the racism in Sakeopete's post ? 

 

BLM rioters quite frequently "loot" business and even tractor trailers (this most recent San Diego riot). 

 

Those photos od black people running out of broken storefront windows with a TV on their shoulder are not staged.

[Saraburi121]

7 hours ago, mercman24 said:

why the need the shoot the guy 4 times, trigger happy s.o.b.

Evidently you have never been in a life or death situation.  Fight or flight.  It is always easy to second guess from news reports inflamed by race what happened. 

[ChoakMyDee]

Pants up, don't loot.

[Chicog]

44 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

After the killing of Jean Charles de Menenez on the London underground by an armed police officer, Private Eye had a rather grim cartoon:

 

Investigator: Why did you shoot the man seven times in the head?

Policeman: Because I ran out of bullets.

In 1988?

 

Quote

 

LONDON — A RECENT cover of Britain's satirical magazine Private Eye shows three commandos poised for a rooftop assault. They're dressed to look like men of Britain's Special Air Service Regiment which shot and killed an IRA trio in Gibraltar last March. One hooded, gun-toting trooper asks another why he shot IRA man Sean Savage 16 times. ``I ran out of bullets,'' the soldier replies laconically.

 

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0927/osas.html

[ClutchClark]

 

7 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I wasn't around in the 60s but I remember the poll tax riots in London - an event that British working class people should continue to celebrate for many years to come as it saw a positive change in government policy and, as a bonus, contributed to the fall of Thatcher. Basically, not all riots are bad.

 

That does not make ALL riots good. 

 

What is being accomplished now with BLM burning and looting businesses and tracotr-trailers that could not be accomplished in a far more positive dialogue ?

 

wasn't that what obama promised when he started this mess? A healthy and constructive dialogue to explore race issues ? He sure lost control of that narrative very early on didn't he. If, in fact, that is actually what he was after to begin with. 

 

 

[ClutchClark]

24 minutes ago, ChoakMyDee said:

Pants up, don't loot.

 

Why can't they ever loot a crate full of belts ?

[ClutchClark]

7 hours ago, impulse said:

 

If it worked that well, perhaps the Feds wouldn't have to be taking over control of dozens of corrupt cities and police departments.

 

And maybe there wouldn't be people rioting in the streets.  Or maybe we'd have torn the corrupt systems down decades ago, with the support of everyday people whose eyes are opened by the evidence we spectators don't ever get to see when the case files are sealed after the judicial process, as happens so often.

 

Edit:  Imagine the treasure trove of secret police evidence the Feds must have uncovered to take over control of a police department by consent decree.  Now, imagine the good citizens had that same evidence for the entire time the corruption was endemic.  I like to think that we, the people, may have done something before it got so bad the Feds had to come in.  If only we had the evidence.

 

I am continually amazed how few of you young people actually understand a thing.

[RuamRudy]

32 minutes ago, Chicog said:

In 1988?

 

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0927/osas.html

 

I think it was printed under the headline "Old Jokes Revisited' - I stopped subscribing a couple of years ago but they did, indeed, run that irregular feature in the past and they did, indeed, run that particular joke about de Menenez.

[RuamRudy]

28 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

 

That does not make ALL riots good. 

 

What is being accomplished now with BLM burning and looting businesses and tracotr-trailers that could not be accomplished in a far more positive dialogue ?

 

wasn't that what obama promised when he started this mess? A healthy and constructive dialogue to explore race issues ? He sure lost control of that narrative very early on didn't he. If, in fact, that is actually what he was after to begin with. 

 

 

 

I agree on almost all counts - but the converse is also true. When dialogue achieves nothing, sometimes all the disenfranchised have left is the ability to disrupt society.  

[ClutchClark]

30 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I agree on almost all counts - but the converse is also true. When dialogue achieves nothing, sometimes all the disenfranchised have left is the ability to disrupt society.  

 

Dialogue needs a chance to work.

 

BLM did not give it time but its been long ingrajned jn that community that riots are the way to force their opinion on the rest of society and those unhealthy forms of communication are rewarded by Liberals so it continues the cycle of violence.

 

Violence is very much a part of the african-american consciousness as can be seen by the murders in their communities.

[YeahSiam]

33 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Dialogue needs a chance to work.

 

BLM did not give it time but its been long ingrajned jn that community that riots are the way to force their opinion on the rest of society and those unhealthy forms of communication are rewarded by Liberals so it continues the cycle of violence.

 

Violence is very much a part of the african-american consciousness as can be seen by the murders in their communities.

 

The bone-headedness in your posts never cease to amaze.

 

Violence is part of human consciousness. White people caused two bloody world wars for God's sake.

You're an old white male who's probably never had to cope with the type of challenges the African American community have to deal with.

The net is full of rigid views from people like you who hark back to a bygone age where one just laced up one's boots and went out into the world to make a fortune.

The world doesn't work that way any more Mr. Van Winkle and, frankly, for most disadvantaged black people in the US, it never did.

 

Though the ingrained, institutionalized discrimination backed up by the law that prevented many American blacks advancing socially and economically before the civil rights movement has been made illegal, vestiges of it remain and for you to pretend that an entire community's problems are all of their own making shows just how far you're prepared to go in your churlish attempts to rewrite history in nigh on every thread dealing with race on this forum.

I've noticed that you're always very active in threads that deal with race. I don't know for certain why that is but I suspect it's because it gives you an opportunity to spew forth your bigoted views in an environment where you're unlikely to be laid out on the ground with cartoon sparrows circling your cranium.

 

There's no denying that the black community in the US bears a sizeable portion of the blame for their plight but when people like you try to make out that the field upon which they play has always been level with their white counterparts, it's particularly disingenuous.

Edited October 1, 2016 by YeahSiam

[ClutchClark]

10 minutes ago, YeahSiam said:

 

The bone-headedness in your posts never cease to amaze.

 

Violence is part of human consciousness. White people caused two bloody world wars for God's sake.

You're an old white male who's probably never had to cope with the type of challenges the African American community have to deal with.

The net is full of rigid views from people like you who hark back to a bygone age where one just laced up one's boots and went out into the world to make a fortune.

The world doesn't work that way any more Mr. Van Winkle and, frankly, for most disadvantaged black people in the US, it never did.

 

Though the ingrained, institutionalized discrimination backed up by the law that prevented many American blacks advancing socially and economically before the civil rights movement has been made illegal, vestiges of it remain and for you to pretend that an entire community's problems are all of their own making shows just how far you're prepared to go in your churlish attempts to rewrite history in nigh on every thread dealing with race on this forum.

I've noticed that you're always very active in threads that deal with race. I don't know for certain why that is but I suspect it's because it gives you an opportunity to spew forth your bigoted views in an environment where you're unlikely to be laid out on the ground with cartoon sparrows circling your cranium.

 

There's no denying that the black community in the US bears a sizeable portion of the blame for their plight but when people like you try to make out that the field upon which they play has always been level with their white counterparts, it's particularly disingenuous.

 

Boy do you sure have a tenancy for the dramatic.

 

It is not my fault members of the black community are so violent.

 

my tax dollars have provided much assistance but you can lead s horse to water but you can't make them drink.

 

You are simply an enabler who continues to encourage the whoa is me victim mentality.

[YeahSiam]

8 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Boy do you sure have a tenancy for the dramatic.

 

It is not my fault members of the black community are so violent.

 

my tax dollars have provided much assistance but you can lead s horse to water but you can't make them drink.

 

You are simply an enabler who continues to encourage the whoa is me victim mentality.

Is that the best you could muster?

American history is replete with evidence showing that members of the white community are equally violent, if not more so.

Your tax dollars have been distributed along with those of blacks, Latinos and Asians who work hard and, though you'd dearly love to deny it, white people get food stamps and welfare too.

Maybe you should try to educate yourself before perpetuating self-serving, revisionist history.

God knows you're old enough to remember

Edited October 1, 2016 by YeahSiam

[ClutchClark]

3 minutes ago, YeahSiam said:

Is that the best you could muster?

American history is replete with evidence showing that members of the white community are equally violent, if not more so.

Your tax dollars have been distributed along with those of blacks, Latinos and Asians who work hard and, though you'd dearly love to deny it, white people get food stamps and welfare too.

Maybe you should try to educate yourself before perpetuating self-serving, revisionist history.

God knows you're old enough to remember

 

I never once suggested whites do not suffer poverty. You suggested it because you need to accuse me of racism to inflate your ego. Its the only paradigm you are comfortable with--evil whitey. 

 

The amount of tax dollars funneled to black communities far exceeds those directed to asian and hispanic and the asians and hispanics have assimilated well even though english is not their primary language.

 

No victim mentality.

 

They adapt.

 

Go find someone else to call racist. Fabricate your strawman somewhere else. I am done with you.