SAN DIEGO -- 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 front pant pocket on Sept. 27, 2016, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, but Olango refused to comply.
Police had received several calls from Olango's sister saying he was acting erratically and asking officers to take him to a mental health facility.
After a second officer arrived on the scene with a Taser, Olango suddenly pulled out a metallic object that 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.
Toxicological studies performed on blood collected from Olango in a hospital emergency room tested positive for cocaine and alcohol.
Portions of the afternoon incident were captured by a closed-circuit surveillance camera from a nearby business and by a witness' cell phone.
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.
Dumanis also briefed reporters on her reviews of four other fatal officer-involved shootings last year, three by sheriff's deputies and one by a San Diego police officer. All were deemed legally justified.
Olango’s sister is planning a lawsuit against the El Cajon Police Dept.
ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS
Alfred Olango
In September, 2016, El Cajon police officers responded to a call about a man behaving erratically and walking in to traffic. The situation escalated when Olango pointed what appeared to be a handgun at officers and they fired at him. The object in Olango's hand turned out to be a vape device. The shooting sparked days of protests. MORE ON THE STORY
David Moya
In early August, 2016, sheriff's deputies responded to a Santee home on a report of a fight. The situation escalated into a SWAT incident and the suspect shot several arrows from a crossbow towards deputies. MORE ON THE STORY
Sergio Weick
In mid-August 2016, sheriff's deputies spotted Sergio Weick driving a vehicle in Vista and recognized him as the suspect of an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from a February 2015 SWAT standoff in Vista. Deputies tried to pull him over and a chase ensued. It ended with the suspect getting out of the vehicle and running. MORE ON THE STORY
Juan Fernando
In November 2016, officers responded to a City Heights neighborhood on a report of a disturbance involving a man armed with a handgun. When officers arrived, Juan Fernando was in the middle of the street pointing a gun at a woman, later identified as his ex-wife. Police ordered Fernando multiple times to lay on the ground, but he refused. An officer, fearing for his life and the woman's safety, fired at Fernando.MORE ON THE STORY
Trenton Lohman
In August 2016, sheriff's deputies responded to a street in Poway on reports of a man looking into parked vehicles. What ensued was a bizarre chase and crash, and the suspect dead. MORE ON THE STORY
