A Pasadena police officer shot and wounded a colleague in the shoulder inside the department’s parking garage last September during an incident the police chief described as “unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay.”
Police Chief Gene Harris, however, kept the shooting video under wraps for nearly 10 months by invoking an exception to state law requiring police shootings be released, citing an investigation.
Pasadena police released a police cruiser dashcam video Wednesday. The Sept. 7, 2025, video captures the car pulling into the parking garage behind two uniformed officers standing at the rear of a police SUV with its back open around 6:18 p.m. It does not have any sound.
As the cruiser approaches the officers, the video shows the officer on the right side of the back of the SUV draw his handgun and point it directly at the approaching police cruiser in an action the police chief said was “inappropriate.” After a few seconds, the officer then reholsters the weapon as he and his colleague smile.
The video does not show what happens next inside the vehicle. Police Chief Harris said the officer seated in the patrol car driver’s seat drew his department-issued handgun and “pointed it toward the other officer, during this interaction, the driving officer’s firearm discharged.”
Harris said the round smashed through the cruiser’s windshield and hit one of the officers in the garage at 240 Ramona St. The video shows that about four seconds after the officer reholstered his gun, the dashcam suddenly jolts, there’s a cloud of dust coming from the direction of the car and the officer who was holding a gun grabs his left shoulder and winces.
The officer then moves to the side of the SUV as other officers in the parking structure rush to him, help him to the ground and treat his wound.
Harris said the officer sustained serious injuries and has since recovered.
Under California law, police agencies are generally required to release to the public audio and video recordings of police shootings and other critical incidents involving great bodily injury within 45 days of the incident.
However, in a video published on the city’s website, Harris said he used his power to exercise a clause in the law that allows for the release of footage to be delayed.
“The delay was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation and allow investigators to complete essential investigative steps,” he said.
The chief said disciplinary measures have been taken against the officers involved; however, Harris did not disclose the nature of the punishment.
The chief said the shooting remains under investigation and review by the Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. “Investigators continue to evaluate all available evidence, including camera footage, witness statements, forensic evidence, and other relevant investigative leads,” Harris said.
“Transparency, therefore, is an important part of maintaining the public trust and we are committed to sharing information at sharing information as responsibly as accurately and timely as possible,” he added.
Harris called the conduct “regretful” and not up to the department’s expectations.
The post Pasadena police officer shoots colleague during ‘horseplay’ in department parking lot, chief says appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
