Pasadena NAACP Chief Urges Calm, Police Transparency in Wake of Shooting

Joe Brown, President of the NAACP Pasadena Branch, urged calm in the community following a police shooting Saturday night which killed a black man suspected of armed robbery.

At the same time, Brown urged the Pasadena police to quickly release more information about the shooting.

So far, police have reported little more than a brief statement which described officers pursuing a suspect north on Sunset Avenue from Orange Grove Blvd and observing the suspect’s “hands at his waistband,” at which time the officers “fired multiple shots striking the suspect.”

The suspect was transported to local area hospital where he died. Police have not identified the suspect.

Brown said he  met with Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip L. Sanchez on Sunday morning about 8:30 a.m. for a briefing about the incident.

“He’s being a little too selective about what he wants to say,” Brown said. “That’s just not good for this community.”

Shortly before noon Sunday, Pasadena Police spokesperson Lt. Phlunté Riddle said in an email that “detectives are still out conducting their investigation” and that no press briefing was planned for today.