Watch on Al Jazeera
International

Pasadena police release video of officer shooting colleague

A Pasadena officer's accidental shooting of a colleague has become a test of police video transparency and internal discipline.

Belgium Impulse Editorial·13 June 2026·2 min read·
Well established· 1 primary source + 2 official documents + 2 independent reporting sources · Academic sources: 1

In 30 seconds

  • Pasadena Police Department says the shooting occurred on September 7, 2025 at 240 Ramona Street.
  • Chief Gene Harris said the injured officer has recovered.
  • Pasadena Police Department says the case remains under review with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
  • California's AB 748 framework requires disclosure of critical-incident recordings, subject to investigation and privacy exceptions.

How we got here

  1. 2018-09-30

    California's governor approved AB 748, creating disclosure rules for police critical-incident recordings.

  2. 2019-07-01

    The AB 748 disclosure provisions began applying to critical-incident recordings.

  3. 2025-09-07

    Pasadena Police Department says one officer was injured in a shooting inside its parking structure.

  4. 2026-06-10

    Pasadena Police Department released Critical Incident Information Video PA2025-70379.

Pasadena Police Department (municipal police force serving Pasadena, California) is the agency that released the video. Pasadena (city in Los Angeles County, California, known internationally for the Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade) is where the incident occurred. Ramona Street (central Pasadena street near civic buildings) is the location of the department parking structure cited by police. Gene Harris (Pasadena police chief) is the official who narrated the department's account of the incident. Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office (county prosecutorial authority for Los Angeles County) is reviewing the shooting alongside the department. California Assembly Bill 748 (2018 state transparency law on police critical-incident recordings) is the statute the department cites for releasing audio and video. California Government Code Section 7923.625 (current codification of the disclosure rule) sets conditions for withholding or releasing critical-incident recordings.

Background

California's Legislature approved AB 748 in 2018, and the bill text says critical-incident recordings may generally be delayed for 45 calendar days during an active investigation, with further delay requiring justification. The Pasadena Police Department says its June 2026 release was delayed to protect investigative steps after the September 2025 shooting. Research gives a cautionary backdrop: Lum, Koper, Wilson, Stoltz and Goodier's 2020 Campbell systematic review found mixed effects from police body-worn cameras on officer and citizen behaviour, making policy design and enforcement as important as the camera itself.

Why now

The story is timely because Pasadena Police Department released the critical-incident video on June 10, 2026, months after the September 7, 2025 shooting, citing the need to protect investigative steps before publication.

Context & what happens next

What to watch

Watch for a Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decision, any fuller Pasadena Police Department disciplinary disclosure, and whether additional records are released under California's public-records framework. The timing of those steps is not yet clear from the available official materials.

What to do

There is no direct action for Belgian residents. The practical takeaway for Belgian public bodies and police-watchers is comparative: camera adoption should be assessed together with release deadlines, privacy rules, internal discipline and independent review. For general readers, graphic police footage can be disturbing and should be treated as evidence within an ongoing process, not as the whole record.

Evidence
Well established · 1 primary source + 2 official documents + 2 independent reporting sources · Academic sources: 1
Explore evidence
Al Jazeera - Dashcam shows US cop accidentally shooting colleague during horseplay
Published:
13 Jun 2026, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original
Pasadena Police Department - Critical Incident Information Video PA2025-70379
Published:
10 Jun 2026, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original
California Legislative Information - AB-748 Peace officers: video and audio recordings: disclosure
Published:
1 Oct 2018, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original
People - Calif. Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Fellow Cop in Horseplay Incident Caught on Video
Published:
12 Jun 2026, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original
SFGATE - Video shows what led up to horseplay shooting between Pasadena police officers
Published:
11 Jun 2026, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original
Cynthia Lum, Christopher S. Koper, David B. Wilson, Megan Stoltz and Michael Goodier, Body-worn cameras' effects on poli
Publication date unavailable
Retrieved by ODIN:
13 Jun 2026
Read original

Continue reading

Powered by ODIN™An Ordinis creation · © 2026 Ordinis

This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.

methodology.