Demonstrators March Through Pasadena, Block Streets to Protest Death of Man in Police Custody

More than three hundred demonstrators marched through the streets of Pasadena Friday night protesting the death of a man who had struggled with police and been tasered twice during a confrontation at his residence earlier in the day.

The man, who reportedly has a history of mental illness, had called 911 himself.

The peaceful protest was noteworthy not only because of its size but also because of the noticeable absence of uniformed police anywhere along the route.

Although law enforcement officials have not identified the suspect who died, area residents and protesters said the man was 35-year-old Reginald Thomas, Jr., and that he was the father of 7 children.

Protesters, holding lit candles and shouting out Thomas’ name, marched from the scene of the incident in the 250 block of East Orange Grove south to North Marengo Avenue, then south to Walnut Street, where they turned east, and then headed south directly in front of the Pasadena Police department headquarters and City Hall.

Police vehicles discreetly followed the group, and in some cases, helped block intersections from traffic so that the protestors could march safely along their route.

Helicopters also hovered over the protest route.

Along the way, the protesters chanted  “The people united will never be divided” and “Whose streets? Our streets!”

The group then marched directly towards Colorado Boulevard, and occupied the two westbound lanes of the street as they made their way through Old Pasadena, and finally, back up Fair Oaks Avenue to Marengo and Orange Grove, where the demonstrators and neighbors had set up a makeshift curbside altar with tributes to Thomas.

The large crowd accompanied by a motorcade of protestors filled and blocked East Orange Grove Boulevard for a vigil and finally dispersed at about 10 p.m.

During the evening, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating Thomas’ death, released surveillance footage from the incident as well as the 911 calls during a downtown Los Angeles press conference.

According Sheriff’s Department investigators, Thomas was tasered twice while being subdued after police responded to his call around 2:20 a.m. Friday morning.

Thomas had confronted arriving officers armed with a knife and a fire extinguisher, investigators said.

Pasadena officers then got into a physical struggle with Thomas, and he still continued to be uncooperative. The officers applied a hobble restraint around his feet, in order to control his legs. Thomas was then taken into custody, a Sheriff’s department spokesperson said.

While in custody Thomas went into distress, and stopped breathing. Pasadena officers immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until Pasadena Fire/Paramedics arrived. Paramedics continued CPR until the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The exact cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

The Sheriff’s office released surveillance footage from the incident as well as the 911 calls late Friday evening, following a downtown LA press conference.