A Pasadena police officer accidentally shot a fellow officer inside a department parking garage last September — and dashcam video of the incident has only now been made public.
The footage, released Wednesday, shows a patrol car pulling up behind two officers standing near another vehicle inside the facility. One of the standing officers drew his service weapon and pointed it directly at the officer seated inside the patrol car, then holstered it.
Seconds later, the officer inside the vehicle drew his own firearm. The gun discharged. A bullet tore through the windshield and struck one of the standing officers in the shoulder.
“The incident has been classified as a result of horseplay among officers — but the consequences were very real. A bullet left the barrel. A colleague was wounded.”
Pasadena’s police chief confirmed that the injured officer has since made a full recovery. Disciplinary action was taken against those involved, though specific details of the punishment have not been publicly disclosed.
The nearly nine-month gap between the September incident and the public release of the footage raises questions about transparency within the department. It remains unclear why the video was withheld for so long before being made available to the public.
Incidents involving officers mishandling loaded firearms — even in what is described as playful situations — have drawn increasing scrutiny across the country, with critics arguing that no environment inside a police facility should be treated casually when weapons are present.
The Pasadena Police Department has not indicated whether additional reviews of officer conduct or firearms handling protocols will follow the release of the video.
