The September shooting happened in a police parking structure as officers prepared for their shifts.
PASADENA, CA — Pasadena police released video Wednesday of an officer being shot by another officer during what Police Chief Gene Harris called unsafe horseplay with loaded firearms inside the department’s parking structure last year.
The release puts new public attention on a Sept. 7, 2025, shooting that injured one Pasadena police officer and remains under review by the department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The officer has since recovered, police said. Harris said the conduct violated department expectations, and the department said disciplinary measures were imposed after an administrative investigation.
The shooting happened at about 6:18 p.m. in the Pasadena Police Department parking structure at 240 Ramona St., where patrol officers were loading vehicles and preparing to start their shifts. The video shows one officer driving toward other officers who were standing near a patrol vehicle. One standing officer drew a firearm and pointed it toward the approaching officer, according to the department’s account. After that officer reholstered the weapon, the officer seated in the vehicle drew his own firearm and pointed it toward the standing officer. The gun fired through the vehicle’s windshield and struck the standing officer in the left shoulder. “The shooting resulted from officers engaged in unsafe and out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms,” Harris said in the department’s critical incident video.
The department has not publicly named the injured officer or the officer who fired the shot. Police said the video includes mobile footage, a statement from Harris and other material meant to explain the circumstances of the incident. The footage released by the department shows the encounter unfolded among Pasadena police personnel before their shift began, not during a call for service involving a member of the public. The department said investigators are reviewing video recordings, witness statements, forensic evidence and other materials. Police have not said whether any officer was placed on leave after the shooting, and they have not released the specific discipline imposed after the administrative review.
The video was released June 10, more than nine months after the shooting. California law generally requires law enforcement agencies to release audio and video recordings tied to defined critical incidents, including officer-involved shootings, within 45 days. Pasadena police said the release was delayed so investigators could complete essential steps and protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Harris said the delay also reflected the seriousness of the injured officer’s medical needs. The department posted the case under critical incident number PA2025-70379, a category it has used for other officer-involved shooting reviews and public briefings.
Harris said the department had completed its administrative investigation, even as criminal and force reviews continue. “Horseplay and/or failure to adhere to safety rules and standards of professional conduct will not be tolerated,” Harris said. He said the conduct was not consistent with the department’s service commitments and said appropriate action would be taken to ensure the agency’s culture reflects proper conduct, values and service to the community. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case with Pasadena investigators, but officials have not announced criminal charges. It was not immediately clear when that review will be completed.
The incident occurred at police headquarters in Pasadena’s civic center area, near City Hall and other public buildings. The parking structure is a secured work area where officers prepare vehicles, equipment and other gear before patrol. In the video, the shooting appears to happen quickly, with officers close to one another and a patrol vehicle between them. The department warned that the recording contains graphic images and language. Local reporting described the footage as newly released and said it showed the officer being struck after a round passed through the windshield.
As of Thursday, the officer who was shot had recovered, and the department’s administrative discipline had been imposed. The remaining reviews by Pasadena police investigators and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office were still pending.
Author note: Last updated June 11, 2026.