A Pasadena Police Department officer accidentally shot a colleague during horseplay with loaded firearms in September 2025 [1].
The incident highlights critical failures in firearm safety and departmental discipline among law enforcement officers. Such lapses in protocol can lead to catastrophic injuries and raise questions about the oversight of officer conduct within the department.
According to dashcam video released on June 10, 2026 [4], the two officers were engaging in unsafe behavior that violated department policy [1]. The shooting occurred in the Pasadena Police Department parking garage or lot [3].
The victim of the shooting was seriously injured [2]. The video captures the moment the firearm discharged while the officers were interacting in the parking area, an environment where loaded weapons should have been handled with strict adherence to safety standards [1].
Departmental policies generally prohibit the use of firearms for anything other than authorized duty or training. The use of loaded weapons during horseplay is a direct violation of these safety mandates [1].
The release of the footage comes months after the initial event took place in September 2025 [1]. The visual evidence provides a clear record of the actions leading up to the discharge of the weapon in the California city [1].
“Two officers were engaging in unsafe behavior that violated department policy.”
This incident underscores the danger of 'normalization of deviance,' where officers may become complacent with safety protocols due to the routine nature of carrying weapons. The public release of the dashcam footage serves as a transparent account of a policy breach that resulted in a serious injury, potentially prompting wider reviews of firearm handling training within the Pasadena Police Department.
