By Max Blau
WASHINGTON — (CNN) Protesters have gathered near the scene of an officer-involved shooting in El Cajon, California. A police officer shot a black man who appeared to threaten him Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
El Cajon Police Lt. Rob Ransweiler said officers responded to an African-American man in his 30s after receiving a report he was behaving “erratically” behind a local restaurant.
Jeff Davis, El Cajon’s police chief, said his department had received a 911 call that said the man was “not acting like himself” and been walking in and out traffic.
“When [officers] contacted him, he failed to comply with the directives that he was given,” Ransweiler said.
Instead, Davis said the man kept his hands concealed in his pockets while pacing back and forth.
As a second officer prepared a Taser, the man “rapidly drew an object,” placed both hands on it “like you would be holding a firearm” and stood in a “shooting stance,” according to police.
In response, one officer fired his gun at the man, while the second officer discharged his Taser, Davis said.
It’s not clear if the man was armed.
According to Davis, investigators did not find a firearm at the scene of the shooting.
Investigators did not say what the object found was — or if it was a weapon.
First responders transported the shooting victim to a nearby hospital.
Police have not released the name of the man, nor have they cited whether he is alive or dead, because they wanted to notify family members first.
Both officers, whose names haven’t been released yet, will be placed on a three-day administrative leave. Both officers involved in the incident have more than two decades of experience as police officer, Davis said.
Ransweiler encouraged El Cajon residents to be patient as investigators looked into the shooting.
Per county protocol, Davis said El Cajon Police would not release video footage collected from witnesses and local businesses until the local district attorney has had a chance to review the evidence.
“Now is the time for calm,” Davis said. “Now is the time for the investigation to shed light on this event. … Now is the time for the community to work with us.”
In response to the shooting, CNN affiliate KUSI said that about 200 people gathered near the scene of the incident in El Cajon, located about 15 miles outside San Diego, Tuesday night.
After the El Cajon Police news conference, protesters surrounded the entrance of the headquarters, according to CNN affiliate KUSI.
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(Photo: CNN)
