Over the past few weeks, a local attorney has filed claims against the City of Pasadena asserting that the civil rights of two people, during separate incidents, were violated by Pasadena Police Officers. The Pasadena Police Department is releasing officer body worn camera and in-car videos of both incidents. The videos detail what transpired during each traffic stop. Those videos can be seen at cityofpasadena.net/police/news/.
Pasadena Police Chief John E. Perez has issued the following statement:
“As the police chief, I swear the same oath as our police officers who are responsible to protect the public and serve those in need. It is a continued responsibility to hold myself and the hundreds of PPD personnel accountable for our performance and behavior. There is nothing more important than the responsibility of ensuring our community that all of our officers are held to the highest standards. It is my responsibility.
“In today’s society, it is important that police departments share with the public as much information as legally possible regarding police performance. In releasing information and, in this case, releasing video of incidents it is important to understand the dynamics of human interaction under stress, requiring critical decision-making, and on-going professional development. Our profession is difficult as we seek perfection, but it is never simple.
“This release of BWC video is important so I need to be clear: If there was reason to initiate a personnel investigation into the actions of any of the officers involved, it would have been done. In one incident, Pasadena Police Officers observed a stop sign violation and in another, they observed a speeding driver, and soon discovered that the driver was combative and intoxicated. You will have the same view of the drivers as the officers did, and you can determine whether race was visible and could have been a factor in the stop. None of us want our officers to ignore traffic violations or intoxicated drivers, placing all of us at great risk.”
Visit these links to review the videos:
- cityofpasadena.net/police/news/claim-13411-traffic-stop/ .
- cityofpasadena.net/police/news/claim-13416-traffic-stop/ .
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.
