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An African-American man was shot in an encounter with El Cajon Police Tuesday, multiple witnesses said, while a woman wailed nearby, demanding to know why police shot her brother.
Hours later, police officers told NBC 7 San Diego the man was acting erratically and failed to comply, although they did not release details on the specific threat he presented to officers.
Dozens of officers swarmed a public shopping center in the heart of El Cajon at 1 p.m. The community is approximately 30 miles east of downtown San Diego.
One witness recalled seeing an officer fire five rounds. Another man said police fired on a man who had his hands out to his side. A manager inside a nearby restaurant said the suspect refused to remove his arms from his side. Police said witness video showed the man did not have his hands in the air.
Witnesses questioned the police motives in the shooting. Crowds gathering by the scene of the shooting began chanting, demanding answers from police.