Man killed by San Diego police immigrated as a refugee

A man fatally shot by San Diego police was a childhood refugee from Uganda whom the U.S. government had tried to deport twice, according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Police encountered Alfred Olango, who was unarmed, on a street Tuesday in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego. His family said Olango was having a mental breakdown over the death of a close friend. He was shot after he pointed an electronic cigarette at police as though it were a gun. Olango came to the United States 25 years ago from Uganda, where his family said they witnessed horrible atrocities, the Los Angeles Times reported. After settling in the United States, he dropped out of high school and got involved in drugs and theft. The government twice tried to deport him, but Uganda refused to take him back and he was released from detention.

The Associated Press contributed to this report