A Pasadena police officer shot and wounded a colleague in the department parking garage last September, during what Police Chief Gene Harris called “unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay.” The chief kept the dashcam video hidden for nearly 10 months, citing a state-
A Pasadena police parking garage was the setting, a dashcam was there to capture it, and for nearly 10 months the footage stayed locked away—until the city posted it this week.
The incident happened on Sept. 7. 2025. when a Pasadena police officer shot and wounded a colleague in the shoulder inside the department’s parking garage at 240 Ramona St. Police Chief Gene Harris described the moment as “unsafe. out-of-policy horseplay.” But the video—released Wednesday on the city’s website—shows something far from harmless.
In the footage, a police cruiser dashcam captures the patrol car pulling into the parking garage behind two uniformed officers standing at the rear of a police SUV with its back open. The timestamp reads around 6:18 p.m., and the dashcam video has no sound.
As the cruiser approaches, the officer on the right side of the back of the SUV draws his handgun and points it directly at the approaching police cruiser, an action Harris later called “inappropriate.” After a few seconds, the officer reholsters the weapon as the two officers smile.
The dashcam does not show what happens inside the vehicle afterward. Harris said the officer seated in the patrol car driver’s seat drew his department-issued handgun and “pointed it toward the other officer,” and that during this interaction “the driving officer’s firearm discharged.”
The round smashed through the cruiser’s windshield and hit one of the officers in the garage at 240 Ramona St. The video shows that about four seconds after the officer reholstered his gun. the dashcam jolts. with a cloud of dust rising from the direction of the car. The officer holding the gun grabs his left shoulder and winces. He then moves to the side of the SUV as other officers in the parking structure rush to him. help him to the ground. and treat his wound.
Harris said the officer sustained serious injuries and has since recovered.
Pasadena police released the cruiser dashcam video Wednesday, citing the decision not to share it earlier. Under California law. police agencies are generally required to release to the public audio and video recordings of police shootings and other critical incidents involving great bodily injury within 45 days of the incident. Harris said he used an exception to delay release.
In a statement attached to the video published on the city’s website. Harris said. “The delay was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation and allow investigators to complete essential investigative steps.” He said the video was not initially released because of the need for extensive interviews and investigation.
Harris identified the shooting officer as Roy Alatorre and said Alatorre “has separated from the city.” Harris added that the Los Angeles County District Attorney has received a criminal investigation for review from his department. and Police Officers Standards and Training for the state have been informed. The District Attorney’s Office told The Times on Thursday that it has not received a report from Pasadena police. Alatorre did not immediately return a request for comment.
Thursday, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said the video reflected unacceptable behavior. “This type of unprofessional behavior is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. The police chief assures me the incident has been thoroughly investigated and appropriat[e] discipline taken and I support the chief’s decisions. ” Gordo said.
Harris called the conduct “regretful” and said it was not up to department expectations.
The aftermath has also raised questions about consequences inside the system—especially as the investigation played out behind the delayed release. In 2024. Alatorre earned nearly $181. 000 in pay and overtime plus benefits and pension earnings that cost the city a total of $271. 000. according to Transparent California. a public records database.
Even as the city now releases the footage. the timeline remains a central part of the story: the shooting occurred on Sept. 7. 2025; the dashcam video went up Wednesday after a nearly 10-month delay; and officials say an investigation—held behind the scenes for months—has moved into criminal review and state notification.
Pasadena police dashcam video Gene Harris Roy Alatorre police shooting horseplay Los Angeles County District Attorney POST Transparent California
Horseplay?? Nah that’s straight up attempted murder vibes.
So they hid the dashcam for 10 months? That sounds like they knew it would look bad. Also how is pointing a gun at a cruiser “out of policy” like… what policy is that even?
I read it like the chief hid it bc it was “unsafe to show” or something but then they release it anyway so idk. If there’s no sound, how do they even know what the people were saying or why they were doing it? Feels like everybody’s just guessing after the fact.
Dashcam locked away for almost a year and it’s just now posted “this week”?? I’m not buying the explanation. If the gun discharged after 4 seconds like they say, that means somebody messed up bad, and the chief sitting on it makes it worse. Reminds me of those cases where they protect their own until the internet forces it.