Man Fatally Shot by Police in California, Sparking Protests

Protests have erupted in El Cajon, CA, after police fatally shot an unidentified man there Tuesday afternoon, reports ABC News .

The El Cajon Police Department said they received a 911 call from the man's sister, saying her brother was "not acting like himself," police said in a press release Tuesday. He was walking in traffic, endangering himself and motorists. Two officers located the man, who was described as being in his 30s, behind a local restaurant in the city, some 16 miles northeast of San Diego.

The man refused multiple instructions to remove his hand from his pocket, which caused one officer to draw his firearm, police said. The man continued to ignore further commands and paced back and forth while officers tried talking to him, according to police.

At one point, the man "rapidly drew an object from his front pants pocket, placed both hands together and extended them rapidly toward the officer taking up what appeared to be a shooting stance," police said. That's when one officer deployed his Taser while another simultaneously shot his firearm several times, striking the man, according to police. The officer who shot the man has not yet been identified.

The man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

Since Tuesday, dozens of protesters have gathered at the scene of the shooting, chanting, "Black lives matter!" and "Hands up, don't shoot!"