Pasadena police release video of officer shooting inside department parking garage

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:13:36 -0700

Pasadena police have released video showing an officer shooting another officer inside the department’s own parking garage after what the chief described as horseplay involving loaded guns.

The shooting happened Sept. 7, 2025, inside the Pasadena Police Department parking garage on Ramona Street, before the night shift had started.

In the video, two officers are seen near the back of an SUV. One officer pulls out his handgun in a quick-draw motion and points it toward another officer sitting behind the wheel of a patrol car. He then puts the gun away.

Seconds later, the camera jolts. Police said the officer inside the patrol car had drawn his own gun while sitting in the driver’s seat. The gun fired through the windshield and struck the other officer in the left shoulder.

The injured officer survived. The video was not released to the public for more than nine months.

California law generally requires law enforcement agencies to release critical incident video within 45 days. Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris said the delay was necessary while investigators reviewed the case.

"This delay was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation and allow investigators to complete essential investigative steps," Harris said.

The department said its administrative investigation is now complete and discipline has been issued. The city identified the officer who fired the shot as Roy Alatorre and said he is no longer employed by the city.

"Horseplay and/or failure to adhere to safety rules and standards of professional conduct will not be tolerated," Harris said. "This regretful conduct is not consistent with the expectations and service commitments of this department."

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo called the officers’ conduct "extremely unacceptable behavior" in a phone interview with FOX 11.

Gordo said he supports the way Harris handled the case, including the decision to delay the release of the video while the investigation was underway.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is still reviewing the shooting. Prosecutors have not announced whether any criminal charges will be filed.

New video raises questions about Southern California Edison’s role in deadly Eaton Fire

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:49:10 -0700

New surveillance video is putting fresh pressure on Southern California Edison as victims and insurers push to hold the utility financially responsible for the deadly Eaton Fire.

The fire, which broke out Jan. 7, 2025, killed 19 people and destroyed about 9,000 structures.

Attorneys for victims say video from the Gerrish Swim and Tennis Club in Pasadena shows two bright flashes, described as electrical arcing, near the base of a Southern California Edison transmission tower at 6:11 p.m. that night.

At that same moment, according to attorneys, Edison’s own records showed two electrical faults on a separate line more than 5 miles away. Seconds later, cellphone video from people nearby showed flames at the base of the same tower.

"Southern California Edison is responsible for starting a fire that killed 19 people and burned down 9,000 structures," said Paul Starita, an attorney for the Gerrish Swim and Tennis Club. "It is clearly their responsibility, and they need to make it right."

The tower held a transmission line that Edison had not used since 1971, according to attorneys for the victims. They argue that the line should have been removed.

Their theory is that electricity from active power lines jumped to the idle line through induction. Edison has said that is possible, but the company has not accepted responsibility for starting the fire.

"Right now, something that we’ve said publicly is that there is a possibility that our footprint was involved in the start of the fire," said Kathleen Dunleavy, a Southern California Edison spokesperson.

Dunleavy told FOX 11 that the utility’s internal investigation is still underway, and the video is one piece of a larger review.

"As with all evidence in an ongoing investigation, these things are part of the broader analysis," Dunleavy said. "Southern California Edison takes these matters very seriously."

Insurers are now asking a judge to hold Edison financially liable before the case goes to trial. Starita said the victims are still waiting for answers and relief.

"They want to be made whole," Starita said. "The civil justice system is a poor substitute. We do our best. We represent our clients. We try to restore them. We meet them on the worst day of their lives. And they just want to get on with their lives."

Starita said delaying the case only adds to what victims have already endured.

"The more that you drag this out, the more that it just adds insult to their injury," he said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing whether Edison could face criminal exposure tied to the fire. No criminal charges have been filed.

The company has placed more than $650 million in settlement offers on the table, according to attorneys, but those offers would require victims to give up their right to sue. Attorneys say most victims have not accepted the offer.

A hearing is set for Aug. 11. The civil case involving insurers is currently scheduled to go to trial in January 2027 unless a judge rules on liability before then.

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Pasadena police release video of officer shooting inside department parking garage

New video raises questions about Southern California Edison’s role in deadly Eaton Fire