The footage, posted at 5 p.m. on the department’s website under California transparency laws, follows a delay in its release that the department attributed to maintaining the integrity of the active investigation.
Police Chief Eugene Harris also said the department wanted to ensure Buchanan’s family had the opportunity to view the video before it was released to the public.
It may be seen by clicking here.
The case remains under both criminal and administrative review.
According to the department, officers responded at about 7:30 p.m. on March 2 to a reported shooting at the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station. A second victim told arriving officers that the first victim had been shot while attempting to intervene in a sexual assault, police said.
Officers located an individual matching the suspect’s description a few blocks north on Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, and when officers attempted to detain him, the suspect fled, prompting a foot pursuit.
“During the pursuit, officers issued multiple commands for the suspect to stop; however, he failed to comply and continued to evade capture,” the Pasadena Police Department said. “As officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, an exchange of gunfire occurred, resulting in injuries to both an officer and the suspect.”
Buchanan died at the scene. Vasquez, a five-year veteran of the department, suffered “life-threatening” injuries, underwent surgery and spent weeks recovering at Huntington Hospital.
The video release was made under California Assembly Bill 748 and Senate Bill 1421, which require disclosure of audio and video recordings of critical incidents, including officer-involved shootings.
“The Pasadena Police Department remains committed to transparency and understands the community’s interest in reviewing the available footage,” Harris said in a statement. “We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding throughout the investigative process as investigators carefully reviewed all available evidence in accordance with legal and procedural requirements.”
Harris said Vasquez, although discharged from the hospital, continues to receive medical treatment and had not yet been interviewed by investigators at the time of the earlier video release delay.
According to a presentation by Independent Police Auditor Teresa Magula on Thursday, May 14, the Buchanan case remains under both criminal and administrative review.
Family members previously told reporters that Buchanan had struggled with mental health issues and had stopped taking his medication for bipolar disorder. Reports from multiple outlets noted the family’s disclosure that he had been diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The Critical Incident Briefing Video provides a comprehensive overview of the incident, including in-car video footage, audio recordings, private surveillance footage and explanatory narration, the Pasadena Police Department said.
The suspect’s actions unfolded over approximately 12 minutes and spanned about half a mile within a mixed commercial and residential area of East Pasadena, the department said.
The investigation is being conducted by the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery and Homicide Unit, Critical Performance Unit and Professional Standards Unit, with members of the Pasadena City Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS. The video is available at cityofpasadena.net/police.
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