Pasadena Police Respond to Claims That Constitutional Rights Were Violated

The City of Pasadena received two claims from an attorney asserting that the Constitutional rights of two people were violated by Pasadena Police officers when they searched an apartment after responding to a call. The Pasadena Police Department (PPD) is releasing officer body worn camera and a 911 recording of the incident. The recordings detail what transpired on July 22, 2019 when the Police Department’s Communications Center received a call from a despondent male, threatening suicide after losing a large sum of money to an apparent scam. The recordings can be accessed on the city website.

Pasadena Police Chief John E. Perez has issued the followingstatement:

“Lawenforcement has a duty and obligation to protect the public and serve those inneed. These duties often require immediate action for the preservation of lifeand it is my responsibility to assure the community that I hold myself and themembers of the Pasadena Police Department, accountable for our performance andbehavior.

“In conjunctionwith the current demands for reform of police agencies, it is important thePasadena Police Department share with the public as much information as legallypossible regarding police performance. In releasing information, it isimperative the public have a complete view of critical incidents to understandthe dynamics in their entirety, rather than a limited view. Change is nevereasy, but as we continue to work towards better policing practices, the benefitto all will be significant.

“As has beenthe practice, the released recordings assisted in determining if there wasreason to initiate a personnel investigation into the actions of any of theofficers involved. Had I or any member of his Command Staff found such reason,an investigation would have commenced.”

The incident was ultimately determined to be a hoax call involvinga male caller who detailed how he had lost a significant amount of money andintended to commit suicide. While talking with the department’s emergencydispatcher, the caller went into great detail as to how he was going tocomplete the act. Officers responded and when they arrived, they forced entryinto the residence to render aid, in an effort to preserve the suicidalsubjects’ life; no one was located inside the residence.

As the investigation progressed, officers sought availableevidence inside to determine if the name of the suicidal subject matched thename of the resident(s) and attempted to locate a responsible party so that theresidence could be secured. After a limited search, documents were locatedinside that indicated the names were different. The department maintains thatthe officers’ actions were consistent with departments’ policies and proceduresfor the purpose of preserving life.

However, according to reporting from Pasadena Now, claimants Keith Anderson and Lorena McCaigue, who are seeking $10 million in damages, paint a different picture. “The claimants allege that after officers determined there was no emergency, they continued searching drawers and other storage areas, which was captured on home surveillance camera footage.”

Additionally, the claim indicates an officer and the supervisor“manipulated their Body Worn Cameras (BWC)” during the search of the residence.According to PPD, the supervisor and officer did turn off their BWC’s, asrequired by department policy, while discussing sensitive information, so as toprevent the recording of potentially private information related to theincident.

Finally, a claim was filed with the city by the homeowner toreimburse the costs associated with the repair of the door damaged by officerswhen they forced entry into the residence. This claim has already been paid bythe city.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Pasadena Police at (626)- 744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google Play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.

More from News