Officer Fires Shots During Pasadena Vehicle Stop; No Gunshot Injuries Reported

A Pasadena police officer assigned to the Street Crimes Unit fired multiple gunshots during an attempted vehicle stop Thursday night in the 200 block of North Oakland Avenue.

Three people, including an officer, were injured but none of the injuries was caused by the gunfire, according to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Sam De Sylva. 

The incident occurred at 9:06 p.m. when SCU officers attempted to stop a vehicle in connection with an assault with a deadly weapon investigation.

While officers were attempting to stop the suspect’s vehicle in a parking lot, the suspect backed his vehicle into two Pasadena police vehicles, injuring an officer, police said in a statement released Friday morning.

An officer-involved shooting followed.

Following the shooting, the suspect remained inside his vehicle and refused to comply with officers’ commands to exit, police said.

Police deployed a K9 to help arrest the driver. De Sylva said the suspect was bitten in the leg and taken into custody.

The driver, identified as 32-year-old Keith Trevon Anderson of Pasadena, was transported to a hospital for medical treatment before being booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer, in violation of California Penal Code § 245(c).

A passenger in Anderson’s vehicle was also transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor abrasions and released by medical staff.

The passenger was subsequently arrested on an outstanding, unrelated warrant for Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

A loaded handgun was reportedly recovered from the suspect’s vehicle.

Detectives responded to the scene and began an immediate follow-up investigation.

Pasadena police Lt. Monica Cuellar, who spoke with reporters Thursday night, described the Street Crimes Unit as “mainly our gang unit and our problem quality of life unit.” She said the unit had been working on a project in the area and confirmed that the operation was connected to the shooting.

Aerial footage showed an Audi at the scene, near Walnut Street, with visible bullet holes, according to NBC Los Angeles and ABC7. ABC7 described the vehicle as an Audi sport utility vehicle that appeared to have been involved in a collision with a pickup truck.

Asked whether there were witnesses, Cuellar said people “have been very helpful” and that officers had been notifying some neighbors about what happened.

The Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Unit, the Critical Performance Unit, and the Internal Affairs Section, responded to the scene.

The number of shots fired and the total number of officers involved were not immediately available.