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| Officer in fatal California shooting of black man sued for sexual harassment | Officer in fatal California shooting of black man sued for sexual harassment |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| One of the officers involved in a shooting death by police of a black man in a San Diego suburb is the subject of sexual harassment lawsuits by a female officer, and was demoted last year amid the allegations. | |
| Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, California, confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that Richard Gonsalves was one of the officers who shot Alfred Olango, a refugee from Uganda, on Tuesday afternoon, one minute after arriving on the scene. | Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, California, confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that Richard Gonsalves was one of the officers who shot Alfred Olango, a refugee from Uganda, on Tuesday afternoon, one minute after arriving on the scene. |
| El Cajon police department spokesman Lt Rob Ransweiler said Wednesday that two officers arrived at the scene at about 2.10pm, and that the shooting happened at 2.11pm. | El Cajon police department spokesman Lt Rob Ransweiler said Wednesday that two officers arrived at the scene at about 2.10pm, and that the shooting happened at 2.11pm. |
| Gonsalves is the subject of two related lawsuits from a subordinate officer alleging sexual harassment that included unsolicited pictures of his genitals being sent. The suits also allege that the city was told about Gonsalves’s behavior and did nothing. Gonsalves was demoted to officer from sergeant after the allegations. | |
| Early Tuesday afternoon, police were called to a strip mall by Olango’s sister, who said that her brother was “not acting like himself”. | Early Tuesday afternoon, police were called to a strip mall by Olango’s sister, who said that her brother was “not acting like himself”. |
| Police claim that Olango was shot after he put his hands up in a “shooting stance”, and they released a still frame from a cellphone video taken by an eyewitness that appears to show a man with his hands raised as if holding a gun. | Police claim that Olango was shot after he put his hands up in a “shooting stance”, and they released a still frame from a cellphone video taken by an eyewitness that appears to show a man with his hands raised as if holding a gun. |
| Police have not released the rest of the video, however, and other eyewitnesses dispute the police’s account. Michael Ray Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he saw a shirtless black man with his hands in the air before officers opened fire. | Police have not released the rest of the video, however, and other eyewitnesses dispute the police’s account. Michael Ray Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he saw a shirtless black man with his hands in the air before officers opened fire. |
| Harrowing video posted to Facebook Live shows the immediate aftermath of the shooting, in which Olango’s sister can be heard crying. “I just called you for help, and you came here and you killed him,” she tells police at one point. | Harrowing video posted to Facebook Live shows the immediate aftermath of the shooting, in which Olango’s sister can be heard crying. “I just called you for help, and you came here and you killed him,” she tells police at one point. |
| The El Cajon mayor did not address Gonsalves’s lawsuits on Wednesday. He said that the FBI was joining the San Diego district attorney in conducting independent investigations into Olango’s death, and that they would release further information, including the video of the incident, at the district attorney’s discretion. | The El Cajon mayor did not address Gonsalves’s lawsuits on Wednesday. He said that the FBI was joining the San Diego district attorney in conducting independent investigations into Olango’s death, and that they would release further information, including the video of the incident, at the district attorney’s discretion. |
| “The El Cajon police department is doing an investigation, the San Diego district attorney is doing an investigation ... also the FBI will be doing this investigation as well,” Wells told reporters Wednesday afternoon. | “The El Cajon police department is doing an investigation, the San Diego district attorney is doing an investigation ... also the FBI will be doing this investigation as well,” Wells told reporters Wednesday afternoon. |
| The full video has not been released, and Wells said that it would be up to the San Diego district attorney to decide when to release it. | The full video has not been released, and Wells said that it would be up to the San Diego district attorney to decide when to release it. |
| But he did say that while the department tries to send out officers who have had specialized mental health training to handle such calls, none were available, so the two officers were sent instead. | But he did say that while the department tries to send out officers who have had specialized mental health training to handle such calls, none were available, so the two officers were sent instead. |
| Wells said he was concerned that it took police an hour to respond to the report and that Olango was shot dead a minute after officers arrived, according to the Associated Press. | Wells said he was concerned that it took police an hour to respond to the report and that Olango was shot dead a minute after officers arrived, according to the Associated Press. |
| Dozens of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday in response to the shooting, and more took to the streets on Wednesday to demand the release of the video, occupying a freeway underpass. | Dozens of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday in response to the shooting, and more took to the streets on Wednesday to demand the release of the video, occupying a freeway underpass. |
| The most recent lawsuit against Gonsalves, which was filed in August, describes sexual harassment against an officer who worked under his supervision, Christine Greer. | The most recent lawsuit against Gonsalves, which was filed in August, describes sexual harassment against an officer who worked under his supervision, Christine Greer. |
| The harassment, the complaint alleges, included sending her texts like “U will never meet a more discreet or uncomplicated fuck buddy [sic]” and “I’m drunk ant I want u! [sic]” as well as pictures of his genitals via text message. | The harassment, the complaint alleges, included sending her texts like “U will never meet a more discreet or uncomplicated fuck buddy [sic]” and “I’m drunk ant I want u! [sic]” as well as pictures of his genitals via text message. |
| The other suit, filed in 2015 by Greer, alleges that Gonsalves also harassed other female officers in the department. That suit was settled. Both suits allege that the city was told about Gonsalves’s behavior but failed to act to stop him. | |
| The August complaint was filed supplementally against Gonsalves and also against the city of El Cajon for failure to prevent Gonsalves’s harassment and for retaliation Greer experienced after the first suit. The second suit also alleges that Gonsalves did all of this despite knowing that Greer was “a sexual assault survivor who suffered from PTSD.” | The August complaint was filed supplementally against Gonsalves and also against the city of El Cajon for failure to prevent Gonsalves’s harassment and for retaliation Greer experienced after the first suit. The second suit also alleges that Gonsalves did all of this despite knowing that Greer was “a sexual assault survivor who suffered from PTSD.” |
| According to court documents, Olango came to the US from Uganda with his family as refugees in 1991, when he was 12. The family then settled in California. | According to court documents, Olango came to the US from Uganda with his family as refugees in 1991, when he was 12. The family then settled in California. |
| Agnes Hassan, a refugee from Sudan, told reporters that she and Olango had been in a refugee camp together. “We suffered so much with the war in Africa, we come here to suffer again,” she said. | Agnes Hassan, a refugee from Sudan, told reporters that she and Olango had been in a refugee camp together. “We suffered so much with the war in Africa, we come here to suffer again,” she said. |
| Both the El Cajon police department and the El Cajon police officers’ association, the police union, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. | Both the El Cajon police department and the El Cajon police officers’ association, the police union, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. |