A man described by authorities as “erratic” was shot and killed by police in El Cajon Tuesday, officials said.
The incident was reported about 2:10 p.m. at a strip mall near the intersection Broadway and Mollison Avenue when officers responded to a report of an uncooperative person who was walking in traffic, KTLA sister station KSWB in San Diego reported. El Cajon is about 15 miles outside San Diego.
The officers came into contact with the man as he was walking into traffic and causing a hazard, police said in a news release.
The man refused to follow orders and he paced back and forth while officers tried to talk to him. He then allegedly drew an object from his pants pocket, placed both hands together and extended his arms toward an officer in a “shooting stance,” Chief Jeff Davis told reporters Tuesday.
An officer fired a stun gun at the man and the officer who had the object pointed at him then fired his gun several times and struck the man, Davis said.
The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he later died. He has not been identified.
A witness told KSWB that the 30-year-old black man was not armed and he had struggled with mental issues.
The man’s sister had apparently alerted authorities that her brother had suffered a mental breakdown, a friend of the family told the station.
A witness voluntarily handed police cellphone video which will be reviewed by investigators, police said. Detectives are also asking nearby businesses for surveillance video.
El Cajon police officers do not wear body cameras, but the department recently completed a pilot program to test the cameras, the Los Angeles Times reported.
After the shooting a crowd of about 30 people gathered at the scene, some of whom described themselves as family and friends of the man, the newspaper reported. The crowd later grew to about 100 people who voiced concern that the incident was racially motivated.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the El Cajon Police Department are investigating. Both officers involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave until an investigation is completed, police said.