Pasadena officials this week released body-worn camera footage from a March 2 officer-involved shooting that left a Pasadena police officer seriously wounded and a 32-year-old man dead near the Sierra Madre Villa Metro station.
The video traces how a standard response to a 9-1-1 call turned into a running gun battle on city streets.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, officers were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. to the area of the Sierra Madre Villa station after a report of a shooting. When they arrived, officers found an adult suffering from a gunshot wound, then encountered a man they believed to be the suspect, sparking a foot pursuit that ended in an exchange of gunfire. The department identified the wounded officer as five-year veteran Officer Bryan Vasquez and said he was rushed to a hospital in “stable but guarded” condition after surgery.
Family members and county records later identified the man killed as Malcolm Buchanan, 32. Relatives told reporters he had a history of mental-health struggles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Authorities have not publicly said what triggered the original shooting at the station or whether the first victim and Buchanan knew each other.
What the footage shows
The newly released clips stitch together body-worn and other camera angles as officers sweep into the transit plaza, race after a fleeing suspect and then trade gunfire near Electronic Drive and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue. Footage aired by CBS Los Angeles highlights the chaotic, close-quarters nature of the confrontation and the fast push by officers and medics to treat the wounded at the scene.
Investigation and oversight
Local and county officials say the shooting is still under active review and will be examined by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for any potential criminal charges. Pasadena’s Independent Police Auditor and the city’s police oversight commission are also monitoring the case and the timeline for releasing video, according to Pasadena Now.
Officer condition and community response
Officer Vasquez underwent emergency surgery after being hit and was listed in stable condition while receiving hospital care, the Los Angeles Times reported. City leaders and police officials have publicly stressed their support for Vasquez and his family as parallel criminal and administrative investigations move forward.
How to help
Investigators are still asking anyone who might have information about what happened on March 2 to contact Pasadena police or Crime Stoppers. Contact details are listed in the department’s initial press release. More information and the full statement on the shooting are available from the Pasadena Police Department.
