California officer guns down man in ‘shooting stance’
EL CAJON, Calif. — The fatal police shooting of a black man who drew something from his pocket and extended his hands in a “shooting stance” happened about a minute after officers in a San Diego suburb arrived where a distraught man was reportedly walking in traffic, a police spokesman said Wednesday.
It took police more than an hour to respond because of other calls, El Cajon Lt. Rob Ransweiler said. Officers arrived at a parking lot next to a Mexican fast-food restaurant about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, and Alfred Olango, who was unarmed, was shot about a minute later, police said.
Mayor Bill Wells said he was concerned how quickly the shooting took place, though he said video taken by a bystander was enlightening and he didn’t think it was “tremendously complicated to figure out what happened.”
Police said the man had refused to comply with instructions to remove a hand from his pants pocket and paced back and forth before rapidly drawing an object from the pocket. The item turned out to be an electronic cigarette device, police said late Wednesday.