A large and emotional crowd gathered in front of the El Cajon Police Department Wednesday morning to decry the fatal officer-involved shooting of a black man family members said was mentally unstable.

Under a blazing hot sun that seemed to match the temperature of the crowd, speaker after speaker stepped forward saying that the killing of Alfred Olango was a miscarriage of justice that should not have happened.

“Mr. Olango was killed for three strikes,” said Christopher Rice-Wilson, the Associate Director of the Alliance for San Diego. “His first strike was for being black. His second strike was being mentally ill. And his third strike was not following orders,” he said. “How can you expect a man who can’t understand your orders to follow your orders?”

Rice-Wilson said the department should have dispatched a team that deals with the mentally ill when it dispatched the call to the officers.


El Cajon shooting

He also questioned the officers’ response once they arrived and confronted Olango. He said one deployed his Taser while the other, instead, fired his weapon. “What was the difference?” he asked.”Why did one officer use lethal force while the other did not?”

Mallory Webb, with the NAACP, said she was angry and hurt.

“That man’s life was priceless,” she said. “He wasn’t doing anything.” In an emotional speech that was punctuated at one point with people yelling the names of other black men killed by law enforcement, Webb said

1 / 53 Protestors peacefully sat on Broadway in El Cajon stopping traffic in both directions. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 53 One of the protestors tries to regain control of the group on Broadway in El Cajon after others began to throw full water bottles at police officers. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 53 Protestors peacefully sat on Broadway in El Cajon stopping traffic in both directions for the death of Alfred Olango. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 53 Khadijah Neely (right) and Sabrina Crawford (right) hold a candle during the cable light vigil held in El Cajon for the death of Alfred Olango. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 53 Protestors peacefully protested on Broadway in El Cajon stopping traffic in both directions for the death of Alfred Olango. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 53 A sign and a picture of Alfred Olango, the man shot and killed by an El Cajon police officer, is placed at a memorial for him where he was shot on Tuesday in El Cajon. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 53 A woman carries a sign as she and a large crowd of people protesting the police shooting of a black man march down Broadway in El Cajon on Wednesday. (Hayne Palmour IV/San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 53 A man, who went into the crowd of protesters wearing a Donald Trump campaign cap, takes a video of himself as the crowd angered by his cap comes toward him in El Cajon on Wednesday. (Hayne Palmour IV/San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 53 The man who taunted the crowd is knocked down on the ground and surrounded by protesters. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 53 The man who taunted the crowd pleads with protesters that he just wants to leave. He was chased but police intervened and took him away from the protesters. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 53 Protesters angered by the police showing up confront the police as other protesters try to calm the situation. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 53 Police officers respond when protesters gathered in El Cajon Wednesday became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 53 Protest organizers try to move the crowd away from police and back to where they were planning to do a candlelight vigil for Alfred Olango, who was shot and killed by an El Cajon police officer, in El Cajon on Wednesday. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 53 A memorial with candles for Alfred Olango sits next to where an emotional crowd gathered to protest their frustration with El Cajon Police. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 53 Pastor Carroll Nutria became overcome with emotions after leading the protest group in prayer at sunset in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 53 The emotional crowd chanted during their protest in the parking lot in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 53 Police officers respond when protesters gathered in El Cajon Wednesday became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. This group formed what they called a peace wall to keep the group separated from the police. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 53 Police officers respond when protesters gathered in El Cajon Wednesday became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 53 Police officers respond when protesters gathered in El Cajon Wednesday became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 53 Police officers respond when protesters gathered in El Cajon Wednesday became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 53 Rachel Watson (left) and Samantha Boyd (right) watch the crowd from the carport of their apartment as the crowd became agitated when a man not part of the group appeared to provoke the crowd. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 53 One man attempts to communicate with police officers in El Cajon after the crowd became agitated. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 53 A memorial with candles for Alfred Olango sits next to where an emotional crowd gathered to protest their frustration with El Cajon Police. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 53 Ebonay Lee holds up her fist toward a line of Sheriff’s deputies as she and other people protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man confront the deputies under the Highway 67 bridge on Broadway in El Cajon on Wednesday. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 25 / 53 San Diego sheriff’s deputies block a protester carrying a sign in El Cajon Wednesday as a crowd marches to protest the death of Alfred Olango, a black man shot by El Cajon police on Tuesday afternoon. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 26 / 53 Protesters upset at the shooting of an unarmed black man by El Cajon police gather at Main and Mollison in El Cajon Wednesday and block traffic. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 27 / 53 San Diego sheriff’s deputies and El Cajon police face off with protesters over the shooting death of Alfred Olango. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 28 / 53 A man saying the police know what they’re doing was confronted by protesters and asked to leave the protest area in front of the El Cajon police department. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 29 / 53 Protesters gathered in front of the El Cajon Police Department Wednesday to demand the police release the entire cell phone video of the shooting of Alfred Olango. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 30 / 53 Protestors confront the police line blocking their progress up Magnolia Avenue below the I-8 freeway Wednesday afternoon. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 31 / 53 A group of men gather in prayer after a press conference at the El Cajon Police Department Wednesday in the wake of a police shooting that left Alfred Olango dead on Tuesday. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 32 / 53 While under the Highway 67 bridge, people protesting the police shooting of a black man hold their arms up as they confront Sheriff’s deputies as they march on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 33 / 53 At the El Cajon police department, protesters usher out a man who came to the protest, supportive of the police. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 34 / 53 El Cajon resident Laren Littlefield said “I used to be prideful in saying this is America’s finest city, and today I don’t believe it any more.” Protesters gathered in front of the El Cajon Police Department Wednesday to demand police release the entire video related to the shooting of Alfred Olango. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 35 / 53 William Gustin rides atop a car with friends in the protest march through El Cajon Wednesday between police blockades. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 36 / 53 Christopher Rice-Wilson addresses the crowd outside the Police Department in El Cajon Wednesday, as Mallory Webb is comforted by Eddie Price after the two of them spoke against the shooting of Alfred Olango. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 37 / 53 Agnes Hassan, a fellow refugee and friend of the family of police shooting victim Alfred Olango, said the police would never shoot a mentally ill man in need of help in her former country of South Sudan. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 38 / 53 Dwayne Harvey asks Sheriff’s deputies to be courageous and change police policy during a protest against the police shooting of a black man on Broadway in El Cajon on Wednesday. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 39 / 53 A woman yells at Sheriff’s deputies as she and other people protesting the police shooting of a black man confront the deputies under the Highway 67 bridge on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 40 / 53 While under the Highway 67 bridge, people protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man confront Sheriff’s deputies as they march on Broadway in El Cajon. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 41 / 53 Ebonay Lee, center, and another woman holds up their fists toward a line of Sheriff’s deputies as they and other people protesting the police shooting of a black man confront the deputies under the Highway 67 bridge on Broadway in El Cajon. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 42 / 53 Dominick Smith holds a sign as he and other people protesting the police shooting of a black man march down Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 43 / 53 Sheriff’s deputies stage on Broadway in preparation for people protesting the police shooting of a black man march down Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 44 / 53 People protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man march down Broadway in El Cajon on Wednesday. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 45 / 53 San Diego State student Marissa Simmons, left, holds her fist up as a motorist does the same in support as she and other people protesting the police shooting of a black man march on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 46 / 53 A man looks for support from motorists as he and other people protesting the police shooting of a black man march down Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 47 / 53 A protester talks to Sheriff’s deputies as the deputies stand in a line to stop people protesting the police shooting of a black man from marching in the middle of the street on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 48 / 53 A deputy yells at protesters to back up as he and several sheriff’s deputies stand in a line to prevent them from marching in the middle of Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 49 / 53 A woman yells at police officers as she and other people protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man march on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 50 / 53 People protesting the police shooting of a black man march on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 51 / 53 A man repeatedly outstretched his arm, at what appeared to be a Nazi salute, toward people protesting the shooting of a black man in El Cajon. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 52 / 53 While under the Highway 67 bridge, people protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man confront Sheriff’s deputies as they march on Broadway in El Cajon. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 53 / 53 Ebonay Lee holds up her fist toward a line of Sheriff’s deputies as she and other people protesting Tuesday’s police shooting of a black man confront the deputies under the Highway 67 bridge on Broadway. Photo by Hayne Palmour IV (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)


that the shooting could have happened to her little brother or her twin sister.

“I’m scared to walk the streets every single day,” she said. “Why do I feel like I have to look behind bushes and hide behind trees because I could get shot and killed anytime? It’s not fair at all.”

Bishop Cornelius Bowser of the Charity Apostolic Church said Olango was not treated with dignity and respect. He said his sister was calling for help, not to have him killed.

He also questioned the release of the still shot from video released by police that showed Olango with his hands together pointing at the two officers. He called it propaganda on the part of the department that is trying to frame a narrative. “Let’s see everything,” he said referring to the cell phone video taken by a witness.


“Don’t think for a minute this is over,” declared Rev. Shane Harris, the President of the San Diego chapter of the National Action Network. “The country’s eyes are on this city.”

“We are not going to stop until we get justice for Alfred Olango.”

El Cajon Shooting On Now Dumanis rules El Cajon police shooting of Alfred Olango justified 2:09 On Now Justice for Alfred Olango 1:33 On Now Video: Protests in the weeks following Olango shooting 1:43 On Now El Cajon City Council Meeting 10.11.2016 1:49 On Now Protest still present after El Cajon Shooting 2:49 On Now Video: Faith leaders, demonstrators rally in El Cajon 3:32 On Now Video: Rally after El Cajon shooting 1:45 On Now Video: Prayer vigil draws crowd in El Cajon 1:12 On Now RAW: Full video of Alfred Olango officer involved shooting 1:46 On Now Angry crowd grows after man is shot by police in El Cajon 1:15