What we know about Alfred Olango, the latest black man killed by cops

By Rafi Schwartz | September 28, 2016 | 5:37pm

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On Tuesday afternoon, police in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon shot and killed Alfred Olango, an unarmed black man.

Officers received reports of an individual “not acting like himself” while walking in traffic. They claimed in a statement that Olango “rapidly drew an object from his front pants pocket, placed both hands together and extended them rapidly toward the officer taking up what appeared to be a shooting stance.” But several bystanders who witnessed Olango’s death told the San Diego Union Tribune that his hands were in the air as he was confronted by police.

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While the circumstances of his death are still somewhat cloudy, here’s what we know about Alfred Olango, as he lived. This story is still developing, and will be updated as new details are made available.

Alfred Olango was reportedly 30 years old when he was shot and killed. According to El Cajon police chief Jeff Davis, officers were called to the scene by a woman believed to be Olango’s sister.

In video originally posted on Facebook purported to be the aftermath of Olango’s shooting, a visibly distraught woman claiming to be his sister can be heard telling police officers, “I told you he is sick. And you guys shot him!” The woman filming the scene also claims the sister stated “his mentality is not all there.” A local CBS affiliate reported that one man has stated Olango appeared to be suffering from a seizure at the time. It is unclear what, if any, diagnosed mental disability Olango may have had.

Warning: this video may be disturbing to watch.

A Facebook account bearing his name says Alfred Olango was head chef at an area Hooters restaurant, and studied at San Diego Mesa college after attending San Diego High School. According to the page, Olango was originally from Gulu, Uganda, and had a sister, a brother, and at least one daughter.

At a Wednesday morning press conference, Agnes Hassan, identified as a family friend of Olango’s, confirmed that he came to the United States from Uganda. “What happened yesterday, it wasn’t right,” she told reporters.

“This guy was an educated man. He finished school,” she explained. “We suffered too much with the war in Africa. We come here to suffer again?”

“If somebody has a mental problem, how can you not deal with him with a mental problem?” she asked later. “This is not right.”

Olango’s shooting comes days after police shot and killed Keith Scott, in Charlotte, NC. Scott’s death set off a series of turbulent protests and intense condemnation from civil rights and activist groups across the country.