District Attorney Rules El Cajon Police Shooting of Alfred Olango Justified

SAN DIEGO, CA – The fatal shooting of an unarmed Ugandan immigrant during a confrontation with police in El Cajon was legally justified and the officer who shot him will not face criminal charges, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said Tuesday.

Dumanis said an officer repeatedly told 38-year-old Alfred Olango to remove his hand from his pocket on Sept. 27, 2016, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, but Olango refused to comply.

After a second officer arrived on the scene, Olango suddenly pulled out what the officer believed was a gun, Dumanis said. Olango then assumed a shooting stance and made a motion, prompting the officer to duck then fire four shots, killing Olango.

The device that Olango pulled from his pocket turned out to be an electronic cigarette vaping device, Dumanis said.

“The cop had every right. Shoot or be killed,” one witness told investigators, Dumanis told reporters.

Dumanis said the use of deadly force by El Cajon police Officer Richard Gonsalves was “reasonable” under the circumstances.

After the shooting, protesters marched in the streets of El Cajon, demanding the public release of video footage of the shooting. Police eventually did release video of the confrontation.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock