A report by NBC News quotes Olango's mother Pamela Benge dismissing reports that his son was mentally ill." "My son was a good, loving young man. I wanted his future to be longer than that," Benge said." She however did not divulge details of the genesis of the emotional breakdown.
The events came after news of the shooting of Alfred Okwera Olango, 38, in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego in the state of California.
Police said that Olango ignored orders to take his hands out of his pockets. He then pulled an object from his pocket, aiming it at officers while taking shooting stance, a statement by El Cajon Police said. The item turned out to be a vape smoking device.
Police had been called by his sister Lucy Peterson saying he was acting erratically. Lucy later said her brother was running around while crossing the street and almost got hit by a car.
He needed someone who was trained. Just calm him down, and then take care of the situation," Olango's mother said at a news conference Thursday. "That's all that the call was meant for," she said. "Not to come and just finish his life."
Several American news agencies are reporting that Police have released a still image from the video purporting to show Olango with his hands pointed at the officer.
The shooting raised questions about police response to those under mental or psychiatric distress and sparked off a protest by community leaders and members of local churches who led prayers.
Olango went to the United States from Uganda as a refugee in 1991.