Pasadena Police Respond to Shooting Investigation Report

Late Friday, the Pasadena Police Dept. said it will institute a number of changes in its training and procedures in response to the L.A. County Office of Independent Review (OIR) investigation of the fatal shooting of local resident Leroy Barnes, Jr. last year.

Barnes was shot to death by two officers during a traffic stop in northwest Pasadena on February 19, 2009. Following the incident, the Pasadena Police Department requested a number of independent reviews of the shooting, including that an investigation be conducted by the OIR.

The officers were ultimately cleared by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office of any criminal wrongdoing.

On October 23, 2009, the OIR released their findings regarding the Barnes’ case in a report that included 14 recommendations suggested to improve Pasadena Police practices. Today, the Department said in a written response it would implement 13 of those recommendations.

Among the changes already being implemented are extended officer training (10-hour “scenario training” every other month imitating high risk situations, sometimes under simulated gunfire) and “community days” where entire patrol teams are assigned community policing projects in order to connect with citizens, the response said.

Procedural changes include a new policy which will limit initial police commentary to the media only to the confirmation that an officer involved shooting has occurred and the nature of any injuries sustained.  The new procedure will prevent any detailed discussion of further facts until the first four hours have passed to allow “police officials to properly analyze and vet the incoming information.”

The procedure provides media updates every four hours thereafter until the conclusion of the field investigation.

Another change involves the handling of witnesses. The new groundrules call for video or audio recordings documenting conversations between investigating officers and witnesses in which police obtain consent to transport the witnesses to the police station.

A complete copy of the response report, entitled “Police Response to the Office of Independent Review Report, Leroy Barnes, Jr. Shooting Incident” is online here.