ESCONDIO, Calif. (KGTV) - A group of people demonstrated outside Escondido City Hall Wednesday evening, demanding that the Escondido Police Department release body camera video from last week's deadly officer-involved shooting.
"We want full transparency and we want them to release the full footage,” said Leyel Malave, the founder of We the People Escondido. She organized Wednesday’s protest.
In addition, they’re also demanding for more oversight.
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“We’re asking for the city council to implement a committee oversight board so that we can actually have citizens involved in what’s going on in these investigations,” Malave said.
The man shot by police has been identified as 59-year-old Steven Olson. The incident happened at Broadway and Second Avenue on April 21.
Police say they responded to the area after calls about someone hitting cars with a metal object. According to police, Olson advanced at the officer in what they called “a threatening manor” while holding a 2-foot long metal pry tool.
“The officer gave multiple commands to drop the tool as well as several use of force warnings. The male continued to advance on the officer who was backing away and was ultimately shot,” Escondido Police Chief Ed Varso said last week in a recorded briefing.
Police say Olson was a transient with a history of run-ins with law enforcement.
A spokesman with Escondido Police Department says they are coordinating the release of the body camera video with the investigators and district attorney.
Police says by law, they have 45 days to release the body camera video, and they plan to release it later this week.
