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San Diego-area protesters blame race for shooting death; police say man took 'shooting stance'

By Shawn Price
Police shot and killed an unidentified African-American man Tuesday in a suburb northeast of San Diego. The shooting spurred protests by the man's friends and family, with the family contending the man was mentally ill and that the shooting was racially charged. Photo courtesy El Cajon Police Department
Police shot and killed an unidentified African-American man Tuesday in a suburb northeast of San Diego. The shooting spurred protests by the man's friends and family, with the family contending the man was mentally ill and that the shooting was racially charged. Photo courtesy El Cajon Police Department

EL CAJON, Calif., Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Demonstrators gathered Tuesday near San Diego to protest what they described as a racially charged police shooting death of an African-American man, though police justified the incident, saying he took a "shooting stance" toward officers.

The shooting took place after police in El Cajon, Calif., responded to a call of a man in his 30s walking through traffic and acting "erratically,' El Cajon Police Lt. Rob Ransweiler said.

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"When [officers] contacted him, he failed to comply with the directives that he was given," Ransweiler said.

Police said the man continued to pace and keep his hand in his pockets before quickly pulling an object from his pocket much like a person would draw a gun. They described his body position as being in a "shooting stance."

El Cajon police released a still frame image from a witness-shot video appearing to show the man in this stance.

One of the officers at the scene shot the man and another fired a Taser. It is not known if the man drew a gun or a weapon.

The man who died has not been identified by police. Friends and family members told the San Diego Union Tribune the man's name was Alfred Orlango, 30.

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Protests began shortly after the man's death, with friends and family charging the shooting was racially motivated and that the victim was mentally ill and not violent.

The shooting takes place just days after the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C., and as the tension grows across the United States over police shootings of African-American men.

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