If any of you have been keeping up with the latest news, then most of you may have seen/heard about the police shooting of Alfred Olango, an unarmed black male. Sadly, shootings like these are quite common and highlight a major problem in society when it comes to how black males are often treated by police. I thought I would comment on this situation because I feel like I haven’t done my fair share of calling out those who think they are above the law and can do whatever they please in the name of “fearing for their lives.”
Ok, so what happened in San Diego (specifically, El Cajon) was that a woman called the police because she wanted her brother to get help. He was apparently acting erratically and she feared for his safety. So, like most people, she sought the help of the police, whose primary job (besides maintaining the law) is to help people in need. I’m sure she thought nothing wrong would occur, since we usually trust the police to be there in our times of need and provide help. Little did she know that the same people she asked to help would be the ones to kill her brother.
After police arrived, 50 minutes after the call was placed, they found Alfred Olango in a parking lot by a taco shop. Based on the released videos, he was pacing around as police arrived. When the officers approached him, he appeared to not be cooperating and took on a “threatening stance,” which provoked the two officers at the scene to take action since they thought he had a weapon. One officer pulled out his Taser and fired it, while the other officer shot him with his gun. Alfred Olango quickly fell to the ground and later died at the hospital. Police later found that the questionable object was not a weapon, but an electronic smoking device.
Many speculate that this was a “suicide by cop,” while others argue that the officers failed to help him in his time of need. Some say that the cops’ actions were justified, and the list goes on. Based on what I saw and what I have heard, I believe that this was an unfortunate situation that escalated to a point where it should have never reached. Unlike some people, I like to look at both sides of the issue before drawing to a conclusion. I am in disbelief that yet another unarmed black man was shot by the police, yet I also understand the fear that the officers felt. The victim was obviously not in the right mindset at the time of this incident (according to his family), and instead of getting the help he needed, he was shot and killed. I believe the officer who responded with his Taser first instead of his weapon showed a great deal of effort to not harm Alfred Olango. I believe it would have been best for the officers to try and de-escalate the situation, but sadly that did not happen. He could have easily pulled out his gun and followed what the other officer did, but chose not to. I am not justifying the actions of either officer, but I do think it is important to reflect on how each officer reacted to Olango’s “threatening stance.”
We are still unsure of what will happen to the officers, but I hope that whatever the outcome is, it is fair and justified. Although the punishments, whatever they may be, will not justify the killing of Alfred Olango, I hope that it serves as a way to show that police officers are not and will never be above the law. Sadly, there will probably be more shootings like these, and people will continue to protest until their voices are heard.
This is not the kind of America I want to live in. And I hope we can change it soon.
