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Caught on Camera: Man Sucker Punches Woman Outside Store

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Police have identified the man who punched a woman outside a Venice market on Sunday evening, but have not made any arrests.

Detectives have not released the man's name.

The moments before, after and during the physical altercation were captured on the market's surveillance system. 

Footage shows the man and woman — who apparently did not know one another — arguing at the store's front counter around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. 

The two can be seen throwing obscene gestures in each other's faces. The man appears infuriated when the woman initiates contact and touches his shoulder. 

The altercation continues outside when the woman is sucker punched outside the store, where she is knocked to the ground. 

Passersby tried to stop the large man, but he was able to fight them off — even throwing one person off his back. 

The man left the scene before police could arrive. 

People who live and play in Venice said they hope to see the man again so that they can contact authorities. 

"Most definitely I would like to have somebody like that off the streets," market customer Sinclair Gray said. "Who's to say what he'll do next?" 



Photo Credit: LAPD

Man Struck by Car Near San Diego Convention Center

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A man was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in front of the San Diego Convention Center early Wednesday.

San Diego Police said the man ran across the road at 4:40 a.m. near Harbor Boulevard and 1st Avenue.

The man was said to have suffered serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Shot El Cajon Suspect Minutes After Arriving at Scene

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A black man reportedly acting erratically at a strip mall in suburban San Diego was shot and killed by El Cajon police a minute after they arrived on scene, authorities confirmed to NBC 7 San Diego. Police say the man pulled an object from his pocket, pointing it at officers and assuming a "shooting stance."

The man, 38, identified as Alfred Olango, was first reported to be walking in and out of traffic in the middle of the street and “not acting like himself,” when a woman police believe may be the man’s sister called officers for help just after 1 p.m. Tuesday.

El Cajon Police Department Lt. Rob Ransweiler said two officers first arrived at the scene at approximately 2:10 p.m. Tuesday. The officer-involved shooting happened at 2:11 to 2:12 p.m., between one to two minutes after they arrived. 

El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis said that when officers arrived on scene and located Olango, he “refused multiple instructions by the first officer on the scene,” and put his hands in his pants pocket. When officers arrived on scene, they were not aware of Olango's criminal history, as far as he knows, said Ransweiler. 

At the time, there was a Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) in the area, but they were responding to another call of a reported man darting in and out of traffic. 

He allegedly pulled an object and held it out “like he would be firing a gun,” Davis said during a press conference on Tuesday night. Police identified the object as a vape device. 

"At one point the male rapidly drew an object from his front pants pocket, placed both hands together on it, and extended it rapidly toward the officer taking what appeared to be a shooting stance putting the object in the officer's face,” Davis said. 

The second officer on scene began to immediately prepare a less lethal electronic control device, or Taser, as the first officer covered him, Davis said. 

The officer deployed his Taser to try and subdue the subject, Davis said, though it is unclear whether the Taser struck the man. Davis said that aspect of the incident is under investigation. At the same time, the other officer fired his weapon. It is unclear how many shots were fired. 

Davis said there was also no indication that Olango was suffering an epileptic seizure during the encounter. Officers gave initial first aid to Olango before paramedics arrived and the man was then transported to an area hospital. 

Shortly after the shooting, a witness came forward and told officers she had video footage of the incident, Davis said. The witness “voluntarily provided” the cell phone video to the department and gave written consent for officers to use it.

“This was the only cell phone video provided to the officers and no cell phones were taken from anybody,” Davis said. He added that video from the scene coincides with the officers’ statements.

Officers with the El Cajon Police Department are not currently outfitted with body-worn cameras.

Following the incident, witnesses questioned the police motives in the shooting. Crowds gathering by the scene of the shooting began chanting, demanding answers from police. 

The protest was angry but peaceful. Several dozen people, most of them black, gathered and some cursed at officers guarding the scene, The Associated Press reported. They chanted "black lives matter!" and "hands up, don't shoot!" 

Davis urged the community to remain calm and said the investigation will be thorough. 

"This will be transparent," he said. "This will be looked at by multiple sets of eyes, and not just ours." 

The district attorney was on scene and also will investigate.

During the press conference, Davis also urged the community to cooperate with the investigation and come forward if they have any information.

"I would like to convey my sincerest appreciation to the community of El Cajon for the strength that they have shown in light of this tragic event," he said.

The woman they believe may be Olango's sister on scene has not cooperated with investigators, Davis said.

“As you can understand, she was upset; she was not cooperating with us,” Davis said. “We can’t even confirm that it was his sister.”

That woman is believed to have called the police to report the initial incident early Tuesday afternoon, Davis said. He added it took officers at least 50 minutes to arrive on scene after the first call.

El Cajon police are asking for the woman come forward, as she may have information they are looking for.

Davis said that the two officers involved in the shooting, who have not been identified, both have more than 21 years of service as police officers.

Both officers have been placed on administration leave.

The entire shooting was captured on cell phone video, but the video will not be released yet as it is part of an ongoing investigation, Davis said. The video will be released in full at a later date, he said. 

Meantime, other videos quickly surfaced showing the aftermath, according to the AP. In one posted to Facebook, an unidentified woman is heard telling police at the scene that the man was ordered to take his hand out of his pocket.

"I said: 'Take your hand out your pocket, baby, or they're going to shoot you.' He said 'no, no, no,' " the woman said. "When he lifted his hand out ... he did have something in his hand but it wasn't no gun, and that's when they shot him."

Lucy Peterson, who was wearing hospital-style work clothing, said she's Olango's sister. She appeared distraught, repeatedly shrieking and crying, telling officers that she had called them to help her brother, who she described as mentally ill.

"I just called for help, and you came and killed him," she said.

Olango was born in Uganda and emigrated to the U.S. in 1991 when he was 12 years old, NBC 7 has learned.

Michael Ray Rodriguez was among the witnesses who said the man had his hands in the air. He said that he was driving out of his apartment complex past the shooting scene and saw a shirtless black man with his hands raised.

The officer "let go of the trigger and shot him again and again," Rodriguez told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The shooting in the community east of San Diego occurred just three days after police in Charlotte, North Carolina, released video showing the Sept. 20 killing of Keith Lamont Scott. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a police officer shot and killed 40-year-old Terence Crutcher on a highway six days after the Charlotte shooting. In that case, Officer Betty Shelby, has been charged with manslaughter.

Both shootings have reignited protests questioning the actions of law enforcement officers in cases where encounters ended with African Americans being fatally shot.

El Cajon City council members approved the purchase of 88 body cameras this past May, but Davis said he was hoping to have the cameras in use by the start of 2017.

Pastor Miles McPherson of Rock Church followed Davis in the press conference and urged members in the community to pray, and to remain peaceful while the facts continue to unfold.

El Cajon, which is about 15 miles northeast of San Diego, has a population of about 100,000. It is 69 percent white and 6 percent black, according to 2010 census figures, and has become a home for many refugees fleeing Iraq and, more recently, Syria.



Photo Credit: El Cajon Police Department
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Renfroe's 2-Run Homer Hits Top of Building

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We’ve been saying his name a lot since his call up from triple A El Paso. Padres rookie outfielder Hunter Renfroe has barely finished unpacking but already has four home runs and a club-record 12 R-B-I in his first 7 games as a Friar.

One of those came in the third inning of Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park, when Renfroe launched a two-run shot to the top of the Western Metal Supply building to put the Padres up 5-3. The total distance on the shot was 435 feet according to MLB.com.

The Friars held that lead until the fourth inning when Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson sent a two run homer to left field to tie it up 5-5. In San Diego’s half of the inning, fellow rookie Manny Margot reached on a double and just barely stole third base (his second career stolen base).

Margot's steal allowed Padres first baseman Wil Myers to put the ball in play. The All-Star grounded out to shortstop and plated Margot. His RBI groundout put the Padres ahead 6-5. San Diego held on to their one run lead and beat the Dodgers 6-5. Renfroe and Margot each had two hits and two runs in Wednesday’s victory.

Thursday the Friars will go for the sweep against the Dodgers in their final home game of the year.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

El Cajon Mayor Promises Thorough Investigation, Transparency

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El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells promised a thorough investigation by multiple agencies, including the FBI, into the deadly police shooting of an unarmed black man that has prompted protests and uproar in the community.

Wells spoke about the police shooting of Alfred Olango for the first time Wednesday, just over 24 hours after the incident, and said the investigation was being handled by the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD), the San Diego County District Attorney's Office and the FBI.

He vowed complete transparency along the way, and said he'd share details of the investigation as they become available.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to heal the situation as quickly and thoroughly as I possibly can,” said Wells. “As we go through the process, we’re going to be transparent. We are open to dialogue, we are open to hearing your complaints.”

“This community is a strong community,” Wells said of El Cajon, adding that he understands that some residents “don’t feel heard” and want answers quickly.

The mayor said he had no problem with the protests Wednesday in the streets of El Cajon, so long as the demonstrations remained peaceful and, in his words, “as long as public safety is not compromised.”

“I’m begging El Cajon stay a peaceful, harmonious place that is safe for our citizens and safe for our children,” Wells added.

The mayor said the news of Olango's shooting death broke his heart.

"If it were my son, I’d be devastated," he said.

Joining Wells, San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the public must let authorities complete their investigation and “not jump to conclusions.”

“We stand united as we stand together here today,” said Jacob.

Olango was shot and killed by two officers with the El Cajon Police Department on Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 800 block of Broadway.

According to the ECPD, Olango was reported to be “acting erratically” and did not follow orders to remove his hands from the pockets of his pants when approached by two officers.

At one point during the encounter, police said Olango pulled an object from his pocket and pointed it at officers while assuming a “shooting stance.” The object, which has yet to be identified by police, was recovered at the scene, investigators said. No weapon was recovered.

As Olango pointed the object at the officers, one officer deployed a Taser while the second officer fired multiple rounds from his gun at the man, critically striking him.

The killing of Olango became the latest case in a disturbing series of highly-publicized police shootings of black men nationwide that have heightened racial tensions across America.

On Wednesday, protesters rallied in front of the ECPD demanding a thorough federal investigation into the police shooting of Olanga.

Hours later, protesters flooded the streets of El Cajon, marching down Broadway and to the scene where Olango was shot and killed by police. As they marched, many chanted, "Black lives matter!"

Dr. David Miyashiro, of the Cajon Valley Union School District, also spoke to reporters at the mayor’s conference, saying the community must set an example for the children of El Cajon on the heels of this difficult situation.

“Our children, in any community, [are] our most precious resource. It’s important for all of us to show children how a community can wrap its arms around itself with love,” said Miyashiro.

Miles McPherson, of the Rock Church, called for prayers for El Cajon.

“If there was ever a time you want to call out on God and mean it, it is now because our city, our county, and our nation is in trouble,” said McPherson. “Pray for our city – that we get through this and become better because of it.”



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

SDSU Ordered to Pay $3M to Ex-Coach Beth Burns

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San Diego State University was ordered Wednesday to pay more than $3 million to a former women’s basketball coach who claimed she was fired in retaliation for demanding equal treatment of women’s athletics programs.

Beth Burns, who is currently an assistant coach at USC, left SDSU abruptly in April 2013 after a 27-win season and with more wins than any coach in the history of SDSU women’s basketball.

She claims she was told she must either resign, retire or be fired due to an alleged workplace violence incident caught on videotape. Burns, who has said she did not strike anyone intentionally, opted to retire to save her pension.

She sued, claiming her termination was retaliation for complaining about unfair treatment between men’s and women’s athletics at the Division I school.

The alleged incident was captured on video in February 2013 during a game against Colorado State. Burns can be seen twice making contact with assistant coach Adam Barrett. The first time, she appears to hit a clipboard Barrett was holding. Later, she appears to hit the coach in the shoulder.

Burns would often complain about the differences in support for housing, facilities, staffing and equipment between the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

She helped the Aztecs make seven NCAA appearances during her career, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2010. She also led her team to six regular-season conference championships and four league tournament titles.

New Campaign, Logo Puts Focus on San Diego-Made Products

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The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. unveiled a new campaign designed to raise awareness of locally made products.

The organization said a new logo and hashtag -- #MadeinSD -- will highlight innovation-based companies that develop or otherwise produce goods and services marketed to the rest of the world.

The logo released Sept. 28 consists of a geographical outline of California with a rectangle at the bottom, shaped like a cartoon quote box, pointing to the southwest corner of the state. The box reads, “MADE IN SAN DIEGO.”

The organization said locally headquartered companies, or those with a “strong presence” in San Diego, are encouraged to use the mark.

“It’s time to show the world what many of us already know – that some of the world's best products, ideas and innovations are made right in our backyard,” the organization said in a news release.

The San Diego Regional EDC is an independently funded nonprofit that promotes the region, facilitates local corporate expansion and supports the area’s workforce.



Photo Credit: San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.
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'People Were Screaming, Trapped': Passengers Recount Horror

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Multiple passengers who were on a crowded commuter train that plowed into New Jersey Transit's Hoboken Terminal Thursday morning said if felt like the train did not brake before the crash. 

"We approached the station and the train just felt like it never stopped," Jamie Weatherhead-Sal, who was standing at the door between the first and second car, told NBC4 New York. "The train just kept going, the lights shut off, people started yelling."

At least one person were killed and up to 100 were injured in the crash, officials said. There were conflict reports about the number of casualties throughout the morning.

A New Jersey Transit spokesperson speaking at a short media briefing would not comment on how fast the train was going when it entered the platform.

Another passenger, Bhagyesh Sha, told MSNBC the train was traveling at its usual speed when it neared the terminal, but it never stopped.

“It did not brake at all,” said Shaw, who was standing in the back of the second train car when it rammed through the platform. 

He said the train hit a couple of pillars, causing the roof to collapse onto the train. 

"It was for a couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity," Shah said of the crash. "I saw a woman pinned under the concrete. A lot of people were bleeding, one guy was crying." 

New Jersey Transit machinist Michael Larson saw the train entering the platform at a "higher speed" than the usual two to three mph. 

“It was horrific. It was an explosion of concrete, dust, electrical wire," Larson said of the crash.

He said passengers were scrambling to exit the train through windows but he and others tried to warn them of live wires hanging at the scene and to wait for emergency responders to arrive. 

"One woman had a gash the entire length of her leg," Larson added. 

The train came to a halt in a covered area between the station's indoor waiting area and the platform. 

"It simply did not stop," WFAN anchor John Minko, who witnessed the crash, told 1010 WINS. "It went right through the barriers and into the reception area."

Ross Bauer, 32, a system engineer from Hackensack, New Jersey, who was in the third of fourth car from the back of train, said the train was going into the station but "the car never decelerated."

Bauer told NBC News he felt a "big jolt" before the train slammed into the platform. 

Nancy Bido, who was sitting in the middle of the train, told NBC 4 New York that it felt like the train was "going really too fast" and the train "never stopped." 

"Everybody was pretty shaken up and upset," said Bido who hit her head on the person in front of her. She added that she was waiting to be taken to one of three hospitals in the area treating people.

"It was a really disastrous scene," she said. 

Weatherhead-Sal people got thrown on impact and one woman got her legs caught in the door. Fellow passengers were able to pull her up to safety. Another man was bleeding from a gash in his forehead but was still trying to help fellow passengers.

"People in front of me were badly injured and then we just heard people were screaming in the first car; they were trapped, they couldn't get out," Weatherhead-Sal said. She said the conductor helped them get off the train. 

NBC staffer Aracely Hillebrecht, 32, was on the platform at the time the train hit the station.

"I was about 30 feet from it," she told NBC News. "I heard screeching and we saw the train and someone yelled 'run.'"

"We heard the train crash and heard the sound of water as the roof collapsed. People were scrambling and running away from the train." Hillebrecht said she saw people who were "really hurt" and "some people couldn't walk."

Hillebrecht, who lives about 10 to 15 minutes away from the station, said she was not injured.

Alexis Valle, a 24-year-old woman who is five months pregnant, told NBC 4 New York that part of the train collapsed on her head. She was dazed, but was picked up and passed out a window by someone else aboard the train. She said afterward, she was taken to the hospital, where she got four staples to the head.

"I can't really take anything, so I had to get staples without medication or numbing," she said. 

Another passenger, Steve Mesiano, told MSNBC he heard a "huge, huge bang, and the lights went off." He was in the second train car, and said he saw the roof of the first car collapse.

When he got out, Mesiano saw bloodied passengers everywhere. 

"There was blood on the floor," he said.

Roseanne Colletti contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

'It Was Super Packed': Survivor Recounts NJ Train Crash

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Jamie Weatherhead-Sal, a passenger aboard the NJ Transit train that plowed into Hoboken Terminal, recounts the harrowing experience.

Water Main Breaks in Old Town Neighborhood

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Some Old Town San Diego residents were left without water service Thursday morning after a water main broke, a city official confirmed.

Arian Collins, spokesperson with the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, said an 8-inch concrete water main broke at Juan and Sunset streets just before 4:30 a.m. Crews responded to the scene and shut off water service in the area about an hour after the water main ruptured.

As of 7:45 a.m., Collins said residents in the 2300 block of Guy Street remained without water service as crews worked to repair the water main.

He said a water wagon is on site to provide those customers with water for drinking, cooking and other needs.

Repairs in the area are expected to be completed by 2 p.m. At that time, water service will resume. The cause of the main break was not released.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Helicopter Footage Shows Wreckage at NJ Train Station

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Helicopter footage shows the scene at Hoboken Terminal, where a rush-hour train from Spring Valley, New York, crashed through a barrier at the end of the line and into the terminal's concourse, killing at least one person and injuring up to 100. 

Several passangers said the 1614 train on the Pascack Valley Line never slowed down when it arrived at Hoboken Terminal at 8:45 a.m. Preliminary reports indicate the crash was accidental or caused by operator error, according to five law enforcement officials. 

The video above shows glass arches atop the building crunched like an accordion over the platform.

'No Justice': Crowds March Down El Cajon Streets

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Demonstrators protesting the shooting death of an unarmed black man said to be "mentally perturbed" gathered in El Cajun for a second night of mostly peaceful protests, chanting slogans and holding signs.

Several hundred people took to the streets of the San Diego suburb, marching from the shooting scene to City Hall and back, shouting Alfred Okwera Olango's name, taunting police and periodically blocking traffic.

The 28-year-old refugee from the Uganda was fatally shot by police after allegedly taking a "shooting stance" while holding an object during a confrontation with officers in shopping center's parking lot, El Cajon police said. Police later confirmed Olango was holding a vape smoking device.  

The crowd staged a boisterous but peaceful rally near the site of Olango's death at the Broadway Plaza Shopping Center on Broadway, chanting "No justice, no peace," and holding "Black Lives Matter" signs. 

A tense situation unfolded earlier Wednesday evening after some sort of scuffle prompted the crowd to scatter, and forced police to call in back up. 

Officers in riot gear could be seen forming lines and blocking off streets, but mostly kept their distance. Demonstrators milled about the streets, but the mood grew more relaxed and the crowds gradually diminished.

Protests against the police shooting began earlier in the day, when crowds gathered and walked in between cars traveling in the opposite direction along Broadway.

Some protesters cursed as they marched while others screamed, "No violence! No violence!"

A dozen San Diego County Sheriff's deputies stood in a line across Broadway between Ballantyne Street and Mollison Avenue, in an apparent attempt to block protesters from getting on to State Route 67.

One woman, who was protesting with her son, told NBC 7 that she worries about him because he's black and she's white.

"It's just to bring attention to what's going on," Sara Bennett said. "I worry about him every day because of what's going on and how is it, they see me as a white woman and him as a black man. Its not fair, we need to be together."

Her son, Josiah, said he was out in the streets because he was tired of his mom worrying about him whenever he left the house.

"I shouldn't have to worry if I'm white, brown, black, purple, green," he said. "Doesn't matter. I want to feel safe and hang out and do what I want without police looking at me because I'm a certain color."

Protesters also held a candlelight memorial for Olango at the shooting scene on Broadway. They said his name multiple times and held a moment of silence before heading to the street for a sit-in.

Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, on the 400 block of Fletcher Parkway off Interstate 8, temporarily closed their doors Wednesday because of the protesters. 

"By request of local authorities and out of an abundance of caution, Parkway Plaza will be temporarily closed due to demonstrations in the area. We will let you know when we are scheduled to reopen," the Plaza said in a statement on their Facebook page.

El Cajon Police said the mall chose to close on its own.

On Tuesday, officers with the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD) shot and killed Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee, during an encounter in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 800 block of Broadway. Police said Olango was reported to be "acting erratically" and did not follow orders to remove his hands from the pockets of his pants.

Police said at one point he pulled an object from his pants and pointed it at officers in a "shooting stance." Authorities later revealed the object was a vaping device.

The killing of Olango sparked outrage in the community amid racial tensions nationwide stemming from deadly police shootings of unarmed black men.

An NBC 7 news crew captured one confrontation between a protester and a sheriff's deputy.

“Pigs! Be scared! [You’re all] in riot gear because you’re all f---ing cowards!” the protester said.

Suddenly a woman nearby chimed in, directing her comment to the deputy, “No, you guys aren’t. You guys are doing your jobs."

"You may not be part of it, but your buddies are," another man shouted at law enforcement officers. "It's time to expose everybody."

A man wearing a shirt with the words #BlackLives tried to walk across the line formed by law enforcement but was quickly stopped by a deputy.

The man shouted that he was trying to get to his son on the other side of the line.

“Stop! Go back!” the deputy told the man.

“Are you kidding me?” the man asked the deputy. “You wonder why we gotta problem with you all? Are you serious?”

"Is not following police orders a justification for killing? This is Murder," said Christopher Rice-Wilson, the Associate Director at Alliance San Diego who was one of the protesters. 

Olango emigrated to the U.S. in 1991 when he was 12 years old.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego
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Majority of Voters Say Clinton Won the Debate: Poll

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A majority (52 percent) of voters who followed the first presidential debate said Hillary Clinton won, according to an NBC News/Survey Monkey post-debate poll.

Twenty-one percent of those polled thought Trump was the winner, while 26 percent said neither candidate emerged victorious.

Fifty percent of Democrats said their impression of Clinton changed for the better after watching the debate. About a quarter of Republicans polled said their impression of Trump changed positively.

Thirty percent of women polled, regardless of party affiliation, said their opinion of Clinton improved after the debate, while just 11 percent of women overall said their opinion of Trump changed for the better.

The first face-off of the 2016 presidential election cycle broke debate viewership records and about three-quarters of respondents said they watched the debate live.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Trump Campaign Says Debate Two Must Be Better

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Two days after the first presidential debate, top aides and people close to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump admit the candidate's performance was subpar and that he must dramatically improve in his second showdown against Hillary Clinton, NBC News reported.

While Trump has been actively spinning his debate performance as a win and insisting that any areas of imperfection were not his fault, his confidants were telling a different story.

The debate was a "disaster" for Trump, according to one source close to the campaign. Also dissatisfied with the debate performance were Trump's children, according to a campaign aide, who said they wish campaign leadership had forced him to take it more seriously.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Woman Fights Off Man Trying to Take Off Her Skirt: SDPD

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San Diego Police are investigating a report of sexual battery that occurred Thursday in the Mt. Hope neighborhood of San Diego.

A woman, 28, was walking near 43rd and Market Streets at 2:25 a.m. when a man approached her and tried to take off her skirt, police said.

The woman told police the man walked toward her from the Interstate 805 ramp.

Officers say the woman managed to escape by fighting off her attacker. The suspect ran off toward the highway off-ramp.

SDPD Sex Crimes is investigating the report. Anyone with information can call San Diego Crimestoppers at (888) 580-8477.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Analysts: Positive Train Control Vital to Preventing Crashes

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As investigators explore the cause of the Hoboken Terminal train crash that killed at least one passenger and injured up to a hundred others, some industry analysts are pointing to the need for an already approved safety measure, Positive Train Control (PTC), which they say would prevent many train accidents.

NBC News reported that the commuter train that crashed into New Jersey Transit’s Hoboken terminal Thursday morning was not equipped with PTC technology. Additionally, no single New Jersey Transit employee been trained how to use the technology, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Transportation progress report, which is dated Sept. 13.

During a briefing a representative from the National Transportation Safety Board said they would "absolutely" be looking into if PTC could have prevented the crash.

Richard Beal, a certified locomotive engineer with over 30 years of railroad operating experience, said while specific details of the Hoboken crash were still incoming, he has no doubt PTC needs to be instituted industry-wide on a faster scale.

"They’ve got to get positive train control implemented," he said. "They’ve been talking about for over a year. If they had that in place then the computers would take over if the engineer doesn’t react the way he’s supposed to do in an emergency situation. The Amtrak accident in Philadelphia kicked them in the rear end to get them talking about positive train control. But It just hasn’t actually kicked into play yet."

Eight people were killed and more than 200 passengers injured aboard Amtrak #188, which was traveling on May 12, 2015, from Washington, D.C., through Philadelphia en route to New York City at the time of the crash.

According to Metrolink, PTC is GPS-based safety technology capable of preventing train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, unauthorized incursion into work zones and train movement through switches left in the wrong position. PTC monitors and, if necessary, controls train movement in the event of human error. PTC may also bring trains to a safe stop in the event of a natural disaster.

“PTC sends up-to-date visual and audible information to train crew members about areas where the train needs to be slowed or stopped. This information includes the status of approaching signals, the position of approaching switches, speed limits at approaching curves and other reduced-speed locations, speed restrictions at approaching crossings and speed restrictions at areas where work is being performed on or near the tracks," according to the Metrolink website. "PTC communicates with the train’s onboard computer, allowing it to audibly warn the engineer and display the train’s safe braking distance based on the train’s speed, length, width, weight, and the grade and curvature of the track. If the engineer does not respond to the ample audible warning and screen display, the onboard computer will activate the brakes and safely stop the train."

According to the Association of American Railroads, PTC when properly implemented would prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speed, unauthorized incursions by trains onto sections of track where maintenance activities are taking place and movement of a train through a track switch left in the wrong positions. 

PTC would not however prevent accidents caused as a result of track equipment failure, improper vehicular movement through a grade crossing, trespassing on railroad tracks or some types of train operator error, the group says on its website. 

In 2008, Congress passed "The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008" (RSIA 08) mandating all Class I freight railroads implement PTC on main lines with regularly scheduled passenger service.

Railroads advised Congress repeatedly that they would not be able to meet the initial deadlines as the work gone more slowly than expected. The deadline has been repeatedly extended and is now Dec. 31, 2018.

Bob Chipkevich, who formerly headed the National Transportation Safety Board's train crash investigations section, told The Associated Press the agency will be looking at whether the train was exceeding speed limits, both when it was approaching the station and when it entered the station area.

Last month, the Federal Railroad Administration said New Jersey Transit had a lot of work yet to do on installing the necessary equipment. New Jersey Transit responded that the report didn't reflect the work it had accomplished.

Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, a professor of civil & environmental engineering at the University of Delaware, is also a railway civil engineering and safety consultant who heads the university's railway engineering program. Zarembski said there was no doubt that if excessive speed was the cause of the accident, PTC would have likely prevented it.

"It's not a universal solution, but if the accident occurred from what I've heard it would have prevented this incident," Zarembski said. 

According to Zarembski, PTC works with a "speed map" which is programmed into the train along its given route. PTC ensures that the train is not exceeding its maximum rate of speed at any point along the given route. If it is, the system kicks in and automatically applies the brakes.

Zarembski said that in general trains should not be traveling at speeds in excess of five miles per hour when approaching a station.

As for the delays in implementing the technology across the board, it simply comes down to cost, Zarembski said. 

"It's a very expensive technology and it's non-funded,"  Zarembski said. "So each railway has to come up with the cost themselves. Those costs that can reach upward to $10 billion."

And since they have to pay for the technology themselves, Zarembski says many railways often argue diverting money from new equipment or track maintenance in turn could lead to additional accidents. 

Beal, who has held positions including switchman, trainman, conductor and engineer, is also concerned with what he believed were severe cost-cutting measures in place by many railways.

"Many of the major railroads have gone for years without two men in the front of the train cab and that’s vital in the case of a medical event or in the case of fatigue or even if the man hits his head," Beal said.  "If any of that happens, there’s no one else there to react. They go on the cheap and look to save money by not having a second person in the cab. When things like this happen they say you have ‘x’ amount of trains traveling versus this one accident. But the thing this is one incident that could have been avoided."

Beal, who now serves as a consultant for railroad experts.com, said that in his 30 years of experience he’s found human error has more often been the cause for major railroad accidents over mechanical malfunction.

"Most of the time you’re looking at fatigue or the engineer having some sort of distraction,” said Beal, who is also concerned about the lack of experience among many newer engineers. 

"They’re getting too many newbies who are not well-trained or well-versed in the industry and to put them out there alone is just wrong," Beal said.

It was not immediately clear who was operating the train in the Hoboken crash. 

As the investigation into the crash begins in earnest, Beal said investigators will go straight to the black boxes to paint a picture of what went wrong.

"Some of these trains have cab videos and in some cases they have inward facing cameras so we’ll be able to get a good look and see exactly what was going on with the engineer," he said. "They’ll investigate the history of the train and determine if its had any issues with brakes in the past  and what the mechanical breakdown of the train is."

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Who Was Alfred Olango?

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A man shot and killed Tuesday in a confrontation with police in Southern California was a Ugandan refugee who friends say came to the U.S. at the age of 12 in search of protection from a regime seeking to kill his entire family. 

Alfred Olango, 38, was not acting like himself Tuesday afternoon when his sister called 911 for help. Olango was standing in the parking lot of a shopping center in El Cajon, a community approximately 30 miles east of downtown San Diego. By the police department’s account, officers approached him and demanded he remove a hand from his pocket. Olango was shot several times and died later at a nearby hospital.

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The shooting is under investigation.

Like many police shootings, there is phone video from a nearby drive-through restaurant employee that captured the entire incident. El Cajon Police have released a still from the video. The entire video will be released in the future, according to Chief of Police Jeff Davis.

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Lucy Peterson, who identified herself as Alfred’s sister, said she called police three times because her brother was “mentally perturbed and he needed help.”

She said her brother was running around and crossing the street.

“He almost got hit by the car,” she told NBC 7.

She said she was tailgating him with her car and wanted the police to get her brother help and possibly take him to the hospital.

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“I did not call the officers so they could kill my brother in front of me,” Peterson said.

A friend of the family describes Olango as a caring, easy-going individual who often helped others.

Steven Oloya was in a refugee camp with Olango in the 1990s when Olango was about 12. Both families were part of the Acholi tribe from Northern Uganda.

Olango was born in Kampala, Uganda, according to a California report from 2001. He was one of nine children; records show he and his family came to the U.S. because Olango's father, who worked for the former Ugandan president and current president, sought to kill him and the entire family. They came to New York as refugees in 1991. 

The family eventually moved to San Diego. As Oloya describes it, Olango often stayed with Oloya's brother in a home along University Avenue in San Diego. He said Olango cared for his brother, cooked for him and took care of him before his death.

In San Diego, Olango's mother worked at Grossmont College in 2010. Olango dropped out of San Diego High School and later obtained a GED. He worked at Toro manufacturing and McDonald's. 

Reverend Shane Harris spoke with Olango's brother, who was not named, on his National Radio show Wednesday afternoon. Olango's brother said what people need to know about his brother is what a great father, son and brother he was to those he loved.

“Someone with a heart - a lions heart," his brother said. "He loved too much, you know.”

In 2001, Olango got married and had one child with his wife, documents show. The couple separated two years ago. 

He said his brother was a family man with two daughters; he said Olango was the glue in the family. Olango loved cooking, he said, and worked as a lead cook in restaurants. 

He said Olango aspired to open his own restuarant one day.

“We love each other very much and now we have to live without a key member," he said on Harris' radio show.

Olango had no known history of mental or emotional problems, according to Federal Court documents. However, he has an extensive criminal history. 

Most recently, in 2011, he was charged with driving under the influence in 2011. In 2005, Olango was pulled over for a traffic stop while driving a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice. Colorado police said he was uncooperative when they tried to arrest him for carrying a loaded, 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

The same year, he was also charged with driving with a fictitious plate, driving with a license under restraint and driving an unregistered car. Inside the car, Colorado police found 185 grams of marijuana, two Ecstasy pills, a scale, Ziploc bags, $948 in cash and a folding knife. 

Those were not Olango's only run-ins with the law. 

In 1996, court records show Olango was convicted for taking a person's car without consent, a charge that federal prosecutors added a gang enhancement to once officers found a replica silver automatic handgun on the 17-year-old, along with a pair of fur-lined black gloves and keys to the stolen vehicle.

In 1998, records show Olango was convicted for burglarizing a friend's home; he took audio equipment, CDs and a water bong.

Olango was charged with two DUIs in 1999 and 2000.

In 2001, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge selling crack cocaine.

A lieutenant with the El Cajon Police Department says officers were not at all aware of Olango's criminal history when they arrived on scene. 

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Photo Credit: Facebook
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Man Killed by El Cajon Police Held Vaping Device: PD

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The object held by a black man shot and killed by El Cajon police officers Tuesday was a type of vaping device, two police sources have confirmed to NBC7.

Alfred Olango, a 38-year-old Ugandan refugee who friends say came to the U.S. over 20 years ago, was killed following a confrontation with police officers in the middle of the day in a public parking lot along a busy street.

El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis, whose officers are not outfitted with body-worn cameras, released a still image from video captured by a witness while promising transparency and asking the community to be patient as the investigation unfolds.

Members of the community held a rally early Wednesday to call for a federal investigation. Several hundred protesters took to the streets later in the evening, with many chanting "no justice, no peace."

Olango pulled an object from his pants and held it out “like he would be firing a gun,” El Cajon police said. The object was a vaping smoking device with an all-silver cylinder measuring approximately 1 inch in diameter and 3 inches long. The vape had a box attached; it was collected as evidence on scene.

"The two officers that were involved, the one that deployed the Taser and the one that fired his weapon, both have over 21 years of service as police officers," Davis said Tuesday night.

El Cajon police said the dispatch receiving calls beginning at 1 p.m. of a man who was “not acting like himself.”

Chief Davis said it took approximately 50 minutes for his officers to arrive at the scene. The shooting happened one to two minutes after officers arrived on scene, police told NBC 7.

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Witnesses offered conflicting accounts as to what happened. Some told NBC 7 Olango had his arms stretched out to his side. Some said he refused to raise his arms.

According to police, Olango refused multiple instructions to remove his hand from in his pocket. This was confirmed by the manager of a nearby fast-food restaurant where a drive-through employee recorded the only video believed to have captured the entire incident.

At the time, there was a Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) clinician with a police officer in the area, but they were responding to another call of a reported man darting in and out of traffic. They were not available. 

The community of El Cajon, California is approximately 30 miles east of downtown San Diego.



Photo Credit: El Cajon Police Department
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Warning: Park at Your Own Risk on 5th Avenue

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San Diego Police will ticket cars parked along 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter during certain weekend hours beginning Friday.

For the past several weeks violators got just a warning, but starting September 30, citations will be issued. 

Street parking on Fifth Avenue – from Broadway to Harbor Drive – is now a 3-minute “Passenger Loading Zone” area every Friday and Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., similar to the loading zones currently in place at the San Diego International Airport.

Before this change, there was metered parking in the area from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and free, open parking every night from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.

The changes are aimed at improving traffic flow, easing congestion and improving pedestrian safety and accessibility in the bustling downtown area.

The Gaslamp Quarter Association also said the change will promote alternate modes of transportation into downtown, including public transit, rideshare services, taxis and the new Free Ride Everywhere Downtown Shuttle, also known as FRED.

The Gaslamp Quarter Association said existing valet stands and taxis along Fifth Avenue will not be affected by the change.

For more info about parking in downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, click here.


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Ramona House Fire Fatally Burns Person Near Highway 67

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A person was killed in a fatal house fire burning in a 2,000 square-foot house in Ramona Thursday morning near Highway 67.

Firefighters were at the scene of the burning house on 18210 Dos Picos Park Road at around 9 a.m., according to Cal Fire.

Some of the fire spread to surrounding brush but firefighters quickly extinguished the flames from extending further, said a Cal Fire official.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: Monica Garske
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