A new report on a Pasadena Police officer’s fatal shooting of Anthony McClain outlines 27 policy and procedure recommendations.
McClain, 32, was shot and killed Aug. 15, 2020 by a Pasadena police officer as he ran away from a traffic stop.
The shooting touched off protests in Pasadena — it came amid a summer of demonstrations against police brutality sparked by the recorded murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
In McClain’s case, it wasn’t a bystander’s cell phone video that showed what happened. The Pasadena Police Department released dashboard and body-cam video of the encounter.
In 2020, LAist asked three use-of-force experts to review the videos. Two of them thought the shooting seemed justified. One felt it may not have been.
The videos show problematic tactical decisions, according to Timothy Williams, Jr., who served nearly 30 years with the LAPD and is now a use-of-force expert and private investigator.
He wonders why Officer Dumaguindin didn’t call for backup before opening fire at a fleeing McClain. “He could have gotten on the radio and cordoned the area off and perhaps got him in custody without perhaps shots being fired,” Williams said.
Last year, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón declined to file charges against the officer who killed McClain. A memo from the DA’s office said there’s insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer did not act in self defense.
Pasadena City reached a civil settlement agreement with McClain’s children for $7.5 million in 2021.
About the Recommendations
The independent report was done by the OIG Group, an independent company that provides law enforcement policy assessments and other services.
The new recommendations range in scope and include calling on the Pasadena…
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