Southern California Rocked By Back-to-Back Fatal Police Encounters

FEATURING JASMINE ABDULLAH – Three fatal police encounters with black men in three different Southern California cities over a span of a few days have sparked angry protests. Alfred Olango, a Ugandan American man, was killed by police in El Cajon, a San Diego-area city. Police say that Olango pointed an e-cigarette at them while taking a “shooting stance.” Days of protests ensued and on Saturday 17 people were arrested.

On Thursday night in Pasadena a black man named Reginald J. R. Thomas was killed in police custody after calling police for help. Mr. Thomas, who was the father of 8 children, was reportedly hog-tied and tasered before he died. There were protests in Pasadena throughout the weekend. Both Olango and Thomas apparently were struggling with mental illness.

And on Saturday in South Los Angeles, LAPD officers fatally shot an 18-year old black teen named Carnell Snell Jr. South LA residents marched calling for Black Lives to Matter.

Community members have set up a GoFundMe page to support the family of Reginald J.R. Thomas at https://www.gofundme.com/2s62zj8

Jasmine Abdullah, Pasadena Chapter founder of Black Lives Matter.