Witness to Friday Shooting Believes Officers Shot Fleeing Suspect in the Back

The video above was shot by a witness who contacted Pasadena Now. Sitting just yards from the shooting, he said he believes the officers shot the armed suspect in the back.

Editor’s Note: The investigation into this morning’s shooting is, per Pasadena Police Department protocol, being conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s Department Lt. Steve Jauch said at a media briefing today that the suspect in this morning’s incident used a gun to shoot at a Pasadena Police Department officer first, before the suspect was shot. 

 

[Updated on April 8, 2016 | 1:14 p.m.]   A man who says he witnessed the police pursuit and shooting of a suspect who jumped from a fleeing car near North Los Robles Avenue and Adena Street Friday morning has told Pasadena Now he believes the officers who opened fire on the suspect shot him in the back.

The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, produced a number of cellphone images as well as a video of the aftermath of the event, which appear to substantiate that he was present at the scene during the shooting.

The witness said he said he saw the police pursuit begin at the intersection of  E. Mountain Street and Los Robles at about 9:15 a.m. today.

“I see the guy’s car has a police car behind him,” the witness said. “They were at a red light. The moment the light turned green for the traffic on Los Robles, the police officers turned on their light and lit him up to pull him over. At that time, [the suspects] gassed it to try to get away. I told my daughter, ‘Look, they’re trying to get away from the cops!’”

About a block away, the vehicle turned left on Adena Street and a man bailed out of the vehicle, the witness said.

“By that time, we’ve already made the left turn going northbound on Los Robles, and at that time, a guy runs right in front of us and there were two cops after him,” the man said. “I saw the cops drive down, they were about the middle of the street, the guy – he was almost reaching the curb when they opened fire on him. The guy took a few steps, fell down and dropped a gun… he had a gun that fell about four or five feet in front of him.”

The man said he saw what looked like a gun magazine or clip in the middle of the street. He said he did not know if it belonged to police officers or if it was something the suspect dropped as he was running across the street.

“We were looking at it happening just a few feet in front of us and the guy pretty much had his back towards the cops and they shot him,” the man related. “They were running, they stop and then pop, pop, pop, pop… that was it.”

The man said he heard about ten shots within the few seconds that they were watching the incident unfold.

The witness also said that he never saw the suspect point the gun at the police officers. He also said that prior to the police officers opening fire he never hear any other shots fired.

A statement  issued by the City of Pasadena acknowledging the shooting.

“The Pasadena Police Department is working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regarding an officer-involved shooting that occurred in the 700 block of North Los Robles Avenue around 9 a.m., Friday, April 8, 2016,” a city release said.”Personnel from both departments are on scene near the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Jackson Street. The public is asked to avoid the area for the next several hours.”

“Per the Pasadena Police Department’s protocol, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is taking the lead to investigation the officer-involved shooting involving a Pasadena Police Department police officer,” the release said.