Police Chief Provides New Details on Fatal Officer Involved Shooting

[Updated]  Pasadena Police Chief John Perez provided new details on Saturday’s fatal officer involved shooting.

On Monday, Perez told local reporters that Anthony McClain was running with a gun in his hand when he was shot during a traffic stop on Saturday.

The 36-year Pasadena police veteran said that after McClain was shot, he continued running another 50 yards before discarding his weapon, and tumbling to the ground a short time later.

Police did not yet provide video of that incident on Monday, but Perez guaranteed that the video would be released this week.

Perez also promised reporters that no hold would be placed on the results of a pending autopsy on McClain. Typically, police departments quickly place holds on autopsy reports in police shootings, blocking the release of information to the media.

Perez said that at least one eyewitness is on tape saying McClain was running with a weapon.

According to authorities, McClain, who was a passenger in a car that officers pulled over, did not cooperate during a traffic stop near Raymond Avenue and Grandview Street shortly before 8 p.m. on Saturday. The driver immediately told police that he was driving on a suspended license.

Police have said that after McClain was asked to step out the car, he complied but then allegedly fled from officers, running into the street holding up his pants and pulling a firearm from the waistband. Police say at that point an officer fired multiple shots at McClain.

 “One of those shots struck Mr. McClain in what was described by doctors at HMH [Huntington Memorial Hospital] as the flank of the body, which is in between the front and back, which could either be because of the angle of the officer or because the individual was beginning to turn.

“We do know so far is that Mr. McClain was in possession of the handgun, did have it in his waistband before he took it out. He did begin to run from the officers holding that weapon and at one point began to turn to look at the officer behind him.”

Almost immediately after the incident, rumors surfaced that McClain was not armed and was shot by police three times in the back, and then point-blank once he was on the ground.

Perez was adamant in his claims on Monday that version of events is unfounded.

“The rumor of there being no gun on the individual is completely false,” Perez said.  “Unfortunately for the community, the wrong message has gotten out. In some way we need to shift the criticism back to the chief of police and our department, to ensure we’re talking about whether we should have shot an armed person during a foot pursuit or not — and not whether he was armed nor were there several shots to the back or whether he was laying on the ground.”

Perez hopes to release the video of the shooting within the next 48 hours.

“Any loss of life is tragic and I extend my heart-felt condolences to the family of Mr. McClain. Incidents such as these have a traumatic impact on the loved ones of the life lost, our Pasadena community, and on our dedicated law enforcement personnel,” said City Manager Steve Mermell.

“We cannot change what has occurred, but we can ensure that this matter is fully investigated and that we share the facts with our community. Both Chief Perez and I are committed to providing as much information as we can with the public as soon as possible; this includes all available audio and video,” Mermell said.

“Furthermore, we will initiate an independent, third-party review of this incident that will result in a publically available report. Our community deserves to know more about this incident and we will provide the facts.”

After the shooting, a crowd gathered in La Pintoresca Park. One man can clearly be seen in video slapping his fists into the palms of his hands before he approached a police officer and threatened to knock the officer out.

At one point, the man appeared to move his hands towards his pants when a nearby sergeant deployed a taser and dropped the man to the ground.

The man was arrested.

In the ensuing chaos, police sprayed the crowd with pepper spray. An 11-year old boy came into contact either by walking through the mist of the spray or being hit directly.

On Monday, he said he was still suffering burning in his throat.

The boy’s mother later pepper sprayed an officer, but was not arrested. The officer suffered no lasting effects of the pepper spray, authorities said.