Unarmed African-American man shot dead by police in California

An unarmed African-American man, who was shot by El Cajon police in California on Tuesday (27 September) afternoon, has died. The individual was shot outside a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall after officers responded to a call that he was acting in an "erratic" manner. The man was declared dead several hours after he was taken to the hospital, the police said.

El Cajon police said in a statement: "The subject has passed away as a result of his injuries." Police Chief Jeff Davis said at a news briefing that the man was unarmed but pulled out a pointed object from his pocket and pointed it in a "shooting stance" in front of two officers, which prompted one of the officers to open fire at him.

One officer deployed a Taser and the other officer fired shots at the man with a hand gun, Associated Press reported.

A screen grab from a video that was shot at the scene released by the police shows the victim with his arms forward and hands gripped together as two officers tackle him. However, Davis declined to identify the object in the man's hands.

According to the Washington Post, the officers have been placed on a three-day administrative leave.

The victim has been identified by his family and friends as Alfred Orlango. His relatives said that the 30-year-old was suffering from a mental illness and did not possess a weapon.

The shooting triggered protests at the scene that went on for several hours with people alleging racism.

This incident comes amid the growing debate in the United States on police shootings of African Americans. Last week, protests rocked Charlotte after police shot and killed another black man named Keith Lamont Scott.