Government orders embassy to probe killing of Ugandan in California, USA

In this video grab courtesy of the El Cajon Police Department and obtained by AFP on September 28, 2016, a man said to be Alfred Olango raises his hands as members of the police department approach in El Cajon a suburb of San Diego, California.

What you need to know:

  • The California police have since admitted he was unarmed but say they shot him because he pulled an object from his pocket.
  • The police officers had responded to a call from Mr Olango’s sister.

KAMPALA. The government of Uganda has instructed its embassy in Washington DC to establish circumstances surrounding the

Ugandan shot dead by US police

The victim, identified as Ugandan refugee Alfred Olango, 30, was shot on Tuesday in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon after police received an emergency call about a man behaving erratically and walking in traffic

by police in in California, USA.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Margaret Kafeero in a telephone interview on Tuesday said: “We have instructed our ambassador in Washington DC to establish the facts because right now not all the facts are known other than the fact the he was shot and killed.”

Reports by Western media indicate Mr Alfred Olango, a Ugandan in his 30s, was shot multiple times by police in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, California, USA.
The California police have since admitted he was unarmed but say they shot him because he pulled an object from his pocket, pointed it at them and assumed a "shooting stance".

A man speaks through a bull horn as demonstrators assemble in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego, California on September 28, 2016, in protest of the police shooting the night before. AFP photo

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The police officers had responded to a call from Mr Olango’s sister who said his brother was mentally ill and needed help.
Mr Olango’s killing is said to have sparked off demonstrations in El Cajon of El Cajon, California, USA.
Meanwhile, the US Mission in Kampala has also responded to the incident, expressing regret.
In a Facebook post, the embassy wrote: “We are aware of reports that on September 29, Alfred Olango was shot and killed during an incident with law enforcement officers in El Cajon, California. We extend our deepest condolences to Mr Olango’s family and friends.”

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