El Cajon Police Shooting Protests Begin Wednesday Afternoon

EL CAJON, CA — Streets were shut down Wednesday in the East San Diego County city of El Cajon as protesters marched from the El Cajon Police Department to the scene of an officer-involved shooting that left a black man dead Tuesday.

The marchers chanted “Black Lives Matter” as they walked a mile-and-a-half-long route that took them under Interstate 8 to the 800 block of Broadway, where the victim — identified widely on social media and by protesters as Alfred Olango — was shot in a confrontation with two officers.

Authorities have not officially identified Olango as the victim and could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Demonstrators who said they knew Olango described him as a refugee from Uganda, Tribune News Service reported. A woman who spent time with him in a refugee camp described him as "well-educated but mentally ill," the news service reported.

According to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Christopher Rice-Wilson, associate director of the Alliance for San Diego, who joined demonstrators Wednesday, said: "Mr. Olange was killed for three strikes. His first strike was for being black. His second strike was being mentally ill. And his third strike was not following orders. How can you expect a man who can’t understand your orders to follow your orders?"

Due to the growing number of protesters Wednesday, El Cajon police advised local residents to avoid Broadway, Fletcher Parkway, Graves, Ballantyne Street and Magnolia Avenue.

According to news reports, a crowd of demonstrators was also gathering near state Route 67.

There was no word on arrests.

Some protesters are reportedly demanding to see a full video of the shooting, rather than a screenshot released by El Cajon police late Tuesday. The image shows a man with his arms clasped, pointed toward an officer who was pointing a gun back at him — with a second officer positioned to the right of the victim.

El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis said the still image was from a cellphone video taken by a witness as the shooting occurred.

Police are still investigating the fatal incident, but said it began as a call about a man who was “not acting like himself.” As officers responded, the man was "walking in and out of traffic" and allegedly did not comply with officers’ orders to remove his hand from his pants pocket, Davis said.

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The man then pointed an object at them as one of the officers was preparing to deployed his Taser, Davis said. When he did deploy the Taser, the other officer simultaneously shot the man.

Davis did not disclose what the object pointed at the officers was, but he did say a firearm was not located at the scene.

On Wednesday, San Diego County sheriff's deputies in riot gear formed a human barrier between demonstrators and El Cajon Police Department headquarters, video showed.

"The community has a right to voice their opinions and we support that 100 percent," Davis said Tuesday night. "That being said, we certainly welcome any help from our neighboring agencies: CHP, La Mesa Police, San Diego County Sheriff ... This has been peaceful; they have a right to be where they are, say what they are saying."

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates as more information is gathered.

Photo credit: Krys Méndez