City officials released police video of an encounter between Pasadena police and the family of an Altadena man killed by sheriff’s deputies that has sparked a lawsuit against the City.
The incident occurred on February 20, about one month after deputies shot and killed Charles Towns in Altadena after he stabbed several people with a pair of scissors.
During the 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.
Police found scissors in Carlos Towns’ pocket after he was placed in a police cruiser.
No one was arrested.
Carlos Towns said his little brother became angry because Carlos did not come home on time.
According to Carlos, his younger brother, CT2, has anger issues.
CT2 can be heard cursing at several officers including one female officer.
“My father just got killed by Altadena sheriff’s,” Carlos Towns said of his younger brother. “So he’s not on no police thing. He don’t like y’all right now.”
The video starts with police approaching two adults and a minor during the incident at 3 a.m. as they argued in the intersection of Walnut Street and Marengo Avenue, near their residence.
When police attempted to make contact with the two males, they became combative and told police several times their father had just been killed by the police.
“After talking to all parties involved it was determined the incident was the result of a family dispute,” said Chief Eugene Harris in a statement on Monday. “One party complained of a wrist injury which he said came from a preexisting fracture and he declined treatment or examination by paramedics. No other injuries were reported. No one was arrested or cited. All parties went freely on their way.”
According to Harris, no categorical use of force was reported and the department had received no complaints stemming from the incident.
Filed on behalf of the family, the lawsuit against the City of Pasadena alleges civil rights violations, including excessive force.
It was filed last Friday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of Towns, Barsha Knox and a minor identified as “CT2.”
The lawsuit also delves into claims of a conspiracy by police to silence one of the officers at the scene. It alleges rookie police officer Taisyn Crutchfield intervened when Officer Ralph Palacios began approaching Knox. Palacios then pushed Crutchfield and told her not to fucking touch him, the lawsuit states.
But the video told a different story. Palacios is all but stationary and several feet away from the suspect, his hands in his police vest, when Crutchfield approaches him.
Two other officers are also on scene with Knox.
Crutchfield, who had just arrived on the scene, appears to attempt to move 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.
The lawsuit claims a conspiracy is now in the works to fire Crutchfield because of her intervention and her race (Crutchfield is Black).
The lawsuit alleges that Crutchfield was later placed on administrative leave and is facing termination for her actions. Police departments do not discuss personnel matters.
Crutchfield is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
It is not known if Palacios is on leave.
The lawsuit lists the City of Pasadena, Police Chief Harris, Lt. Chris Kirby, Palacios and Sgt. Blanchard, who is not identified by first name, as defendants in the lawsuit.
Harris had been with the department less than two months when the incident occurred.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages for excessive force, conspiracy, battery, negligence, and violation of their civil rights.
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