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San Diego: Police Kill Unarmed Black Man Having Mental Health Breakdown

HeadlineSep 28, 2016

Police in the San Diego, California, suburb of El Cajon shot and killed an unarmed African-American man Tuesday, after his sister called 911 to report her brother was having a mental health emergency. Eyewitnesses said 30-year-old Alfred Olango was holding his hands up when he was tased by one police officer and then fired upon five times by another officer. In a dramatic video posted to Facebook, a woman named Rumbie Mubaiwa begins filming moments after Alfred Olango is shot dead. In the background, Olango’s sister is heard tearfully confronting police officers over the death of her brother.

Olango’s sister: “Guys, why couldn’t you tase him? Why couldn’t you guys tase him? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

Rumbie Mubaiwa: “What’s his birthday, so they could find his information?”

Olango’s sister: “Why couldn’t you guys tase him? I told you he’s sick. And you guys shot him.”

El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis acknowledged it took officers 50 minutes to respond to the 911 call of Olango’s sister, who warned police her brother was mentally ill. Chief Davis disputed eyewitness accounts that Olango had his hands in the air. He said police had obtained a video showing officers fired only after Olango pointed an object at them. He declined to make the video public but released a single still image to the press in which he says Alfred Olango’s hands appear to be raised at shoulder height, as if to fire a weapon. It’s unclear from the photo if Olango is holding any objects. Chief Davis acknowledged there was no weapon found at the scene of the killing. The killing immediately sparked protests. Hundreds gathered at the Los Panchos restaurant where Olango was killed; they later protested outside El Cajon police headquarters. We’ll have more on the police killing of Alfred Olango after headlines.

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