Pasadena police officer shot by fellow cop in 'horseplay' incident

The Pasadena Police Department in California released shocking video footage of a September 7, 2025 incident in which one officer apparently shot another officer by mistake.

Chief Gene Harris described the episode as "a suspected accidental officer-involved shooting," that "resulted from officers engaged in unsafe, and out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms."

He noted that the injured officer had recovered.

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In the video footage, an officer draws his weapon, points it toward a vehicle that approached him, then places the gun back in his holster. But then suddenly on the footage there's a puff of smoke, a hole gets blown in the vehicle's windshield, and the officer who had just re-holstered his gun can be seen reacting after apparently being shot.

"As seen in the video, one officer drove toward the other officers who were standing next to another police vehicle. One of the standing officers, inappropriately, and in a quick draw fashion, drew his firearm from his holster and pointed it at the officer seated in the approaching unit. After a few seconds, he re-holstered the gun," the chief explained.

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The officer in the vehicle then drew his gun in the driver's seat and pointed it at the fellow officer, the chief stated.

"During this interaction, the driving officer's firearm discharged striking the front windshield of his police vehicle and subsequently the left shoulder of the officer that was standing outside," Harris noted.

"As additional evidence is collected and reviewed, our understanding of the incident may evolve," he said. "While the criminal investigation and force review are pending, the administrative investigation has been completed and disciplinary measures taken."

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"This regretful conduct is not consistent with the expectations and service commitments of this department. And appropriate actions will be taken to ensure our culture reflects appropriate conduct, values, and service to this community," he noted.