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Calls for discussion on how the city should react after the shootings involving officers will soon be answered as Pasadena Public Safety Committee is preparing to meet on Wednesday, October 13.
Local residents and city councilor Tyron Hampton – member of the city’s public safety committee – have repeatedly called on city leaders to address Pasadena’s policies regarding shootings involving officers and other situations that may conflict with current Pasadena Police Department protocols for more than a year .
Calls for a thorough investigation began shortly after Anthony McClain’s death by police in August 2020.
At the time, Hampton questioned why the officer turned off his body camera during the shooting which sparked wide debates in the community.
“I don’t think shooting someone in the back is our training,” Hampton said at a 2020 board meeting, asking City Manager Steve Mermell to show him where this is allowed in training or “so I can check that off” policy.
Hampton also asked if it was policy to shoot someone in a residential area, pointing at a bullet that ended up hitting a house, before clarifying that the advice is – but failing – to ensure monitoring.
The councilman’s feelings on the matter have only intensified in recent months, as he and residents who phoned during the public comments have been repeatedly asked to wait for the conclusion of three more inquiries – a criminal investigation from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, an administrative review from the Police Department. to determine whether officers followed department policy and an independent review of the shooting conducted by the OIR Group – before public officials could have a heart-to-hearted discussion about the professional status of the officer who shot McClain.
It is not known when the investigations will end, which has been a sticking point for Hampton and the residents. Some have called for the sacking of Mermell and Police Chief John Perez in addition to Officer Edwin Dumaguindin.
Mermell and Perez have since announced plans to retire.
Officers shot McDade eight times, court documents show some of the shots were fired from within two feet, but an internal investigation and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office ruled that the shot was legal.
Hampton was forced to drop his desire to talk about the McClain case specifically and instead settle on a general policy discussion of the consequences of violating departmental policies because city officials are adamant that three inquiries must be completed before the city can talk about the status of Dumaguindin.
“I don’t think it should matter if you did something criminal or not,” Hampton said in an interview Friday. “It should be important if you’ve followed your procedures, training, and policies. So, I understand we will talk about what will happen if the employees don’t. “
The city councilor called the upcoming conversation crucial. McClain is one of the most recent residents affected by gun violence, he said, but members of the McClain family are not the only ones affected by shootings involving officers in Pasadena.
A recent debate has helped propel a push to create a Police Oversight Committee, which has now been formed after years of wrangling over the issue.
There is no presentation attached to Wednesday’s agenda, so it’s unclear what the details of the conversation from Public Safety members Victor Gordo, Steve Madison, John Kennedy and Hampton will involve.
City officials said the oversight committee would not be discussed in detail as the group is not mentioned on the agenda, but declined to comment further on next week’s meeting.
Gordo, chairman of the public safety committee, offered insight in an interview on Friday when he described the meeting as an opportunity to discuss city disciplinary policies and procedures within the Pasadena Police Department.
“The conversation will also include state laws and case law that govern and have a direct impact on how the city gives effect to disciplinary matters within the Pasadena Police Department,” Gordo said, adding that the matter is very complicated, so Wednesday will serve as a briefing. all sorts.
Hampton and Gordo admitted that they weren’t sure exactly what would happen on Wednesday until the meeting, but both hope that the conversation be transparent.
A drunk driving bus driver or messy librarian would be dealt with quickly, Hampton said. “But for some reason there is an extra step for some professions in our city.”
“You shouldn’t be in a position where you have a badge and a gun and the literal right to take someone’s life – and we – the public and families – shouldn’t have to wait years for get answers, “he added on Friday. “If you can’t handle the job, you shouldn’t be at work, which is why I urge us to agree that we shouldn’t have to wait for more investigations to be completed years after they started to get the job done. to have our own personal investigation This is something that is entirely in our control and must be completed in a timely manner.
Kennedy and Gordo joined Hampton’s call for such a meeting at a board meeting in August.
The support was well received, Hampton said. “Because the sooner we approach the political discussions from the side of police management instead of prolonging them, the sooner we can resume our real work. “
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