Attorney Bradley Gage pictured during a press conference outside the Pasadena Police Department headquarters on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. [Eddie Rivera]
An attorney will hold a press conference on Thursday morning at the Pasadena Police Department headquarters building, where he will once again introduce several police officers who claim they have been victims of assault, racial slurs, retaliation, and/or discrimination.
According to a press release received by Pasadena Now, former Pasadena Police Lieutenant Carolyn Gordon, former Pasadena Police Officer Omar Elhosseiny, current Lieutenant Sam De Sylva, current Sergeant Milton White, current Officer Jarvis Shelby, and current Officer Taisyn Crutchfield will attend the media conference.
Although attorneys and the plaintiffs can speak on the incidents, neither the City of Pasadena nor the Police Department can respond directly to the incidents since they involve personnel matters, which are confidential under California law.
When several of the matters were originally brought forth in a press conference in December, the Department said “all Pasadena police officers are investigated thoroughly and fairly, and all personnel throughout our ranks are always held accountable for their actions.”
The claims by Gordon and Elhosseiny have not been previously reported and no information on incidents relating to their complaints were included in Wednesday’s press release.
In March 2023, the Department received a complaint from Elhosseiny about on-duty Pasadena Police Department Officers consuming alcohol at a birthday party at his residence.
Three officers were disciplined in relation to that incident.
Elhosseiny retired in 2020 after a grave illness left him paralyzed.
“Over the last few years Omar has undergone exhaustive rehabilitation and has made great progress but due to some limitations, he has decided to retire from law enforcement,” the Department posted on its Facebook page. “We thank Omar for his courage, his dedication to the law enforcement profession, and his service to the Pasadena community.”
The complaints by many of the other officers have been previously reported and are currently wending their way through the courts.
De Sylva is suing fellow officer Anthony Russo and the City for discrimination, harassment, retaliation and battery. The City is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Crutchfield, a two-year veteran of the Department alleges she was wrongfully punished for intervening and trying to de-escalate a situation with an officer.
Shelby says he was assaulted by his commanding officer, who he claims put him in a headlock, causing career-threatening injuries this past August.
White claims he is being retaliated against because he saw the attack on Shelby.