Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

"Cowboy" cop blamed for Olango killing

Police department sued for unconstitutional policies and practices

Lawyer Brian Dunn, flanked by Olango's family members and other legal counsel
Lawyer Brian Dunn, flanked by Olango's family members and other legal counsel

The family of Alfred Olango, an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by El Cajon police in September, have filed a second claim against the police department, accusing the officers involved of excessive force and negligence. Such actions, to which the department has 45 days to respond, are typically precursors to a lawsuit, which counsel for the family has promised is forthcoming.

"We're here for one reason only — we don't want another family to go through this," attorney Brian Dunn told media assembled at a Thursday afternoon (November 3) press conference. "We are seeking reforms in not only the way that the El Cajon Police Department responds to mental crises, but every police department....

"This case occurred because a family member of Alfred Olango wanted to help him," Dunn continued. "She called for help, and because of a series of tactical decisions she did not get the help she desired and instead had the most horrific experience imaginable."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Olango's sister Lucy, who filed a separate claim last month, made three calls to 911 over a 50-minute period requesting assistance for her brother, who she said at the time was "not acting like himself."

Instead of sending a unit trained in dealing with psychiatric emergencies, police sent officers including Richard Gonsalves, a former sergeant who'd been demoted in the wake of sexual harassment accusations. While a second officer prepared to deploy a taser to subdue Olango, Gonsalves fired five fatal shots when Olango assumed what was described by police as a "shooting stance" while brandishing an unidentified object, later identified as an e-cigarette.

"Alfred Olango isn't the only individual with a hashtag before his name, but what we're doing today is trying to ensure justice so we won't see the continuing flow of hashtags like we've seen in 2016," said attorney Rodney Diggs, referring to a spate of police killings that gained widespread media attention over the past year. Diggs represents Olango's father, who expects to file a third claim against the department in the coming weeks.

"This lawsuit isn't just going to be an Olango family lawsuit," added Dan Gilleon, counsel for Olango's sister. "These are going to be the public's documents, you're going to have a right to see them. And this is going to shed a light on what happened....

"Clearly, this was negligence," Gilleon continued. "You've been told multiple times that he needs help, and you arrive on the scene, pull your gun out and confront the man like you're a cowboy — what do you think is going to happen?"

The latest claim, filed by Olango's widow, Tania Rozier, and the couple's two children, accuses the police department of unconstitutional policies and practices, and says the department failed to properly train its officers to handle mental health crises. Olango, the family said after the incident, was distraught and grieving over the recent death of a close friend.

Local National Action Network leader Shane Harris, meanwhile, promised more demonstrations against the department, promising to rally "thousands" in the coming weeks.

"People think that we jump on this stuff," Harris said, acknowledging criticism lodged earlier in the day by the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, which has accused Al Sharpton and the Network of "seeking to race-bait and divide." "We're not ambulance chasers, we're the ambulance.

"The long fight for justice is just beginning,'' Harris continued, repeating earlier calls for an independent investigation into the shooting and the firing of Gonsalves. "And you can best believe that I'm going to keep running my mouth until I see these issues of policing — police must know that if they hold misconduct, they will pay the price."

After the 45-day period passes for police to respond to claims made by the family, the department will have six months to file a lawsuit. Lawyers for all parties said they did not have a set amount of damages they were seeking, nor had they decided on the best venue in which to pursue a case.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Hockey Dad brings UCSD vets and Australians to the Quartyard

Bending the stage barriers in East Village
Next Article

Rapper Wax wishes his name looked like an email password

“You gotta be search-engine optimized these days”
Lawyer Brian Dunn, flanked by Olango's family members and other legal counsel
Lawyer Brian Dunn, flanked by Olango's family members and other legal counsel

The family of Alfred Olango, an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by El Cajon police in September, have filed a second claim against the police department, accusing the officers involved of excessive force and negligence. Such actions, to which the department has 45 days to respond, are typically precursors to a lawsuit, which counsel for the family has promised is forthcoming.

"We're here for one reason only — we don't want another family to go through this," attorney Brian Dunn told media assembled at a Thursday afternoon (November 3) press conference. "We are seeking reforms in not only the way that the El Cajon Police Department responds to mental crises, but every police department....

"This case occurred because a family member of Alfred Olango wanted to help him," Dunn continued. "She called for help, and because of a series of tactical decisions she did not get the help she desired and instead had the most horrific experience imaginable."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Olango's sister Lucy, who filed a separate claim last month, made three calls to 911 over a 50-minute period requesting assistance for her brother, who she said at the time was "not acting like himself."

Instead of sending a unit trained in dealing with psychiatric emergencies, police sent officers including Richard Gonsalves, a former sergeant who'd been demoted in the wake of sexual harassment accusations. While a second officer prepared to deploy a taser to subdue Olango, Gonsalves fired five fatal shots when Olango assumed what was described by police as a "shooting stance" while brandishing an unidentified object, later identified as an e-cigarette.

"Alfred Olango isn't the only individual with a hashtag before his name, but what we're doing today is trying to ensure justice so we won't see the continuing flow of hashtags like we've seen in 2016," said attorney Rodney Diggs, referring to a spate of police killings that gained widespread media attention over the past year. Diggs represents Olango's father, who expects to file a third claim against the department in the coming weeks.

"This lawsuit isn't just going to be an Olango family lawsuit," added Dan Gilleon, counsel for Olango's sister. "These are going to be the public's documents, you're going to have a right to see them. And this is going to shed a light on what happened....

"Clearly, this was negligence," Gilleon continued. "You've been told multiple times that he needs help, and you arrive on the scene, pull your gun out and confront the man like you're a cowboy — what do you think is going to happen?"

The latest claim, filed by Olango's widow, Tania Rozier, and the couple's two children, accuses the police department of unconstitutional policies and practices, and says the department failed to properly train its officers to handle mental health crises. Olango, the family said after the incident, was distraught and grieving over the recent death of a close friend.

Local National Action Network leader Shane Harris, meanwhile, promised more demonstrations against the department, promising to rally "thousands" in the coming weeks.

"People think that we jump on this stuff," Harris said, acknowledging criticism lodged earlier in the day by the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, which has accused Al Sharpton and the Network of "seeking to race-bait and divide." "We're not ambulance chasers, we're the ambulance.

"The long fight for justice is just beginning,'' Harris continued, repeating earlier calls for an independent investigation into the shooting and the firing of Gonsalves. "And you can best believe that I'm going to keep running my mouth until I see these issues of policing — police must know that if they hold misconduct, they will pay the price."

After the 45-day period passes for police to respond to claims made by the family, the department will have six months to file a lawsuit. Lawyers for all parties said they did not have a set amount of damages they were seeking, nor had they decided on the best venue in which to pursue a case.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Next Article

94th Aero Squadron – French farmhouse still works

Try the antinoise –tomatoes with olive oil dressing plus capers, garlic, toasted coriander seeds, basil, spring onions, salted anchovies
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader