City Official Says Crutchfield Has Access to Personnel File

A City employee on Monday discounted a local police officer’s claim that she has been denied access to her personnel file.

On Monday Pasadena Now reported that in a legal claim filed by her attorney, local police officer Taisyn Crutchfield claimed she has been denied access to her personnel file and the chance to respond to charges against her.

But according to Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian, that information is not correct.

“Officer Crutchfield has access to her personnel file just as all other employees do,” Derderian told Pasadena Now in a statement by email. “The standard process is being followed in this instance.”

Derderian said that since the claim involved a personnel matter, City officials would not discuss further details.

Crutchfield claims she has been subjected to racial discrimination, harassment and retaliated against after she was placed on administrative leave shortly after a February 20 near the police station.

During that incident, Pasadena police detained and handcuffed Carlos Towns, his mother Barsha Knox and a minor identified as CT2 on Walnut Street and Marengo Avenue, near the Pasadena police station. The family was involved in a dispute outside of their apartment after Carlos Towns did not return home on time.

After Crutchfield arrived on the scene she appears to attempt to move Officer Ralph Palacios away from Knox.

Palacios tells Crutchfield several times not to “do that.” A supervisor tells them to move away from each other and orders both back to police headquarters.

No one was cited or arrested in that incident.

A lawsuit later claimed a conspiracy “is now in the works to fire Crutchfield because of her intervention and her race.”

Crutchfield was placed on administrative leave and was not fired and was not a part of that lawsuit. Evidence has not been produced to show Crutchfield was placed on leave or disciplined due to her race.

The department later released a series of videos that showed the encounter.

The department has never released the official reason why Crutchield was placed on leave and cannot do so due to state law which prohibits the release of personnel information.

“The City will vigorously defend itself in this matter and the facts will prevail,” Derderian said. “The Pasadena Police Department proudly serves the residents of Pasadena with honor and integrity, and is proud of its diversity throughout all ranks of the Department.”

In January, deputies in Altadena shot and killed Charles Towns after he allegedly stabbed several people with a pair of scissors. Pasadena police were not involved in the shooting.