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Police involved shootings

El Cajon, Calif., police release video of fatal shooting of Olango

Melanie Eversley
USA TODAY

San Diego-area officials released two videos to reporters on Friday, one of which shows an unarmed black man backing away from a police officer after he was fatally shot Tuesday night in El Cajon, Calif.

The video related to the death of Alfred Olango, 38, was released "for the sake of the well-being of the community" because of misinformation being bandied about, El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis said during a news conference.

In the first video, which lasts one minute and 37 seconds and is shot from the drive through of a fast food taco restaurant, Olango is seen backing away from Police Officer Richard Gonzalves and then moving to the side before the video goes black.

In the second video, shot via cell phone by someone who was at the taco restaurant drive through, Olango is seen backing away from Gonzalves before four gunshots are heard and someone is heard screaming. This video lasts perhaps 20 seconds.

Davis said he opted to release the video in conjunction with San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Mayor Bill Wells.

"This was done in the spirit of community calm and peace," Davis said.

Alfred Olango, a Ugandan immigrant, was fatally shot by police on Sept. 27, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif.

Gonzalves shot Olango and another officer applied a stun gun electronic device after responding to a call of a man behaving erratically. A woman filmed on social media video identifying herself as Olango's sister has said Olango suffered from mental challenges and that she called emergency responders for help but hoped someone with a psychiatric background would respond.

The incident is the latest police-involved shooting to draw national attention and to ignite protests among people questioning the relationship between law enforcement and urban communities. Protests have also erupted in Charlotte, N.C., and Tulsa, Okla., after two separate police shootings of black men in those cities in the last two weeks. The shooting victim in Tulsa was unarmed. There is debate as to whether the shooting victim in Charlotte had a gun.

Police said in a statement posted to the agency website that they would release copies of the video to media who attend a briefing. It was not immediately clear how media or members of the public not at the briefing might access the video.

On Wednesday, police released a statement saying Olango pointed a vape smoking device at them before he was stunned with an electronic device and fatally shot.

El Cajon police: Unarmed black man pointed a vape before fatal shooting