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No Charges Will Be Filed Against Officer Who Fatally Shot Black Man In San Diego Suburb
No charges will be filed against a police officer who was shown on video fatally shooting an unarmed black man in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon in September. On Tuesday afternoon, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced that her office had ruled that the shooting of Alfred Olango was justified, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune.
On September 27, El Cajon Police officers encountered 38-year-old Alfred Olango in a parking lot after reports that the man had been acting "erratically." After refusing to comply with orders from officers, Olango "drew an object from his front pants pockets, placed both hands together on it and extended toward the officers," according to El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis, and was shot multiple times by Officer Richard Gonsalves. It was determined that the object Olango pointed at officers was a vape pen.
"The law recognizes police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving. As prosecutors we have an ethical duty to follow the law and only charge individuals when we have proof beyond a reasonable doubt," Dumanis said at the press conference.
"The only reasonable conclusion was the officer's actions were justified," Dumanis added.
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Family members say Olango was mentally ill, and Olango's sister was one of the individuals who had called police over her brother's behavior that day. A video taken in the immediate aftermath of the shooting shows her at the scene weeping and saying, "I called for help. I didn't call you guys to kill him."
The shooting led to several nights of protests in the San Diego suburb, and officials eventually released two videos of the shooting due to the "escalating aggression" of the protests.
Olango was a Ugandan refugee who emigrated to the United States in 1991 at the age of 12. He had previous encounters with law enforcement officials over drug and weapons charges. Friends and family say he was distraught over the death of a friend, leading to his behavior before getting shot.
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