Suspect Dead, Pasadena Officer Shot in Leg When Pursuit Ends in Gunfire

A suspect who led police on a slow-speed, 20-minute car chase was killed and an officer shot in the leg Friday afternoon when the pursuit ended in gunfire.

The incident started about 3:10 p.m. in the 2000 block of East Walnut St. and ended in the shooting about 3:35 p.m. near Allen Avenue and Corson Street, according to Lt. Bill Grisafe of the Pasadena Police Department.

Grisafe said the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage for a vehicle code violation. The man driving the car failed to yield, and a pursuit ensued.

The car was driven at slow speeds while pursued. It ran several stoplights at intersections, he said.

Officers discontinued their direct pursuit while the Pasadena Police helicopter monitored the suspect from above, police said in a statement.

Even though the suspect was no longer being actively pursued on the ground, he continued to drive in a reckless manner. In an effort to protect the public from the dangerous driving behavior of the suspect, ground officers once again began to actively pursue him.

The pursuit was ended through the use of a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver at Corson Street and Allen Avenue, just south of the Foothill Freeway overpass.

At a press conference, Pasadena Police Chief John Perez said the suspect had a gun and opened fire on officers as he exited the vehicle.

Multiple officers returned fire and the suspect was shot dead.

One officer was shot in the leg. The officer was transported to a local hospital where he was in serious but stable condition and was rushed into surgery.

“He’s doing well,” Perez said at the press conference.

Three firearms were located inside of the vehicle driven by the suspect, police said.

Authorities have not yet released any suspect information.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google Play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.