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Protesters showed up at the home of City Councilman and mayoral candidate Victor Gordo in response to Saturday’s officer-involved shooting death in Northwest Pasadena.
But instead of creating a tense situation by calling police Gordo got up from his dinner table and addressed the activists, then walked with the group to discuss their concerns.
“This is a time when we should be seeking unity in our city,” Gordo said. “I was asked by the people to come outside to engage in ideas. I was asked to walk with them and I listened. It is our role as elected leaders to bring our city together. I have done the same thing with others who have a different vantage point, including our police officers. I am doing everything I can as an elected leader to understand varying points of view and bring people together.”
Gordo walked with the group for several blocks before returning home.
The group met at 4 p.m. at La Pintoresca Park, near the shooting scene, then caravanned to Gordo’s home after Monday’s City Council meeting.
Some activists headed to Mayor Terry Tornek’s house for a vigil at 7 p.m. The event at Gordo’s house was listed as a protest. Less than a dozen people showed up at Tornek’s home.
On its Instagram page, the group said Gordo is expected to win the mayor’s race and listed Tornek as a roadblock to police oversight.
Both Gordo and Tornek have recently supported separate police oversight models considered by the City Council.
Gordo supported a model that would lead to an oversight commission and an independent auditor. That model would have required a vote to change the city charter in order to make the auditor independent of the city manager’s control.
That measure was denied by the council by a vote of 6-2.
Tornek backed a separate model that would also create a commission and an auditor. Under that model, oversight would remain under the control of City Manager Steve Mermell.
No vote has been taken on that model yet.
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