Outlook
Public Safety Committee Meeting June 17, 2026 - Concerns Regarding the Pasadena Police Parking Garage Shooting Incident
From William M. Paparian
Date Fri 6/12/2026 3:01 AM
To Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Gao, Beilei <[email protected]> [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
MEMORANDUM FOR
Members of the Pasadena Public Safety Committee
FROM: William Paparian, Former Mayor of Pasadena
SUBJECT: Concerns Regarding the September 7, 2025, Pasadena Police Parking Garage Shooting Incident
Date: June 12, 2026
As the former Mayor who established the Public Safety Committee, I am writing to express serious concern about the incident that occurred on September 7, 2025, in the Pasadena Police Department parking garage, during which one officer was shot and wounded by another.
According to the Police Chief, the shooting resulted from "unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay" between uniformed officers. Dashcam video shows one officer pointing his handgun at an approaching police cruiser, followed by the driver of that cruiser drawing his own weapon. The driver's firearm then discharged, striking a fellow officer in the shoulder and causing serious injury.
This incident represents a significant failure of leadership and a disturbing breakdown of basic firearm safety discipline. The behavior directly violates:
• POST firearms training standards and required perishable skills; • California Penal Code § 246.3 (grossly negligent discharge of a firearm); • Virtually every law enforcement agency's Use of Force and Firearms policies; The fundamental rule of gun safety taught in every police academy in the nation: "Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy." •
That two experienced officers felt comfortable engaging in this conduct inside a police facility strongly suggests a deeper cultural problem — one that can only persist when leadership fails to enforce rigorous standards of professionalism and safety. The nearly ten-month delay in releasing the video, while legally permissible, further raises legitimate questions about transparency and accountability.
I respectfully request that the Public Safety Committee:
1. Hold a formal briefing with the Police Chief on this incident, including a full review of the department's firearms safety training and enforcement practices.
2. Review whether systemic leadership or cultural issues contributed to this event.
3. Evaluate the need for stronger policies regarding negligent or reckless firearm handling.
4. Formally request that the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) review the involved officer's certification for possible decertification, given the egregious nature of the conduct and the resulting injury.
5. Ensure that future critical incidents involving Pasadena police officers are handled with greater transparency and timeliness.
The people of Pasadena deserve a Police Department in which firearm safety is treated as an absolute, non-negotiable standard. When that standard is so clearly breached, meaningful oversight and corrective action — including potential POST decertification — are essential to restore public confidence.
I am available to provide any additional information or perspective the Committee may find helpful.
William Paparian
Former Mayor of Pasadena
Outlook
Public Safety Committee Meeting June 17, 2026 - Civil Defense Training Center and Firing Range Reconstruction
From William M. Paparian
Date Sun 6/14/2026 10:24 AM
To Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>,· Gao, Beilei <[email protected]> Cc Bill Paparian
[A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you Jlrnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
MEMORANDUM FOR
Members of the Pasadena Public Safety Committee
FROM: William Paparian, Former Mayor of Pasadena
SUBJECT: Follow-Up on Firearms Safety Concerns and Opportunities in the Civil Defense Training Center and Firing Range Reconstruction
Date: June 14, 2026
Dear Members of the Public Safety Committee,
I write as a follow-up to my memorandum of June 12, 2026, regarding the September 7,2025, Pasadena Police Department parking garage shooting incident. That event — involving unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay with loaded firearms and resulting in a serious injury to one officer — exposed serious deficiencies in muzzle discipline and perishable skills training.
The reconstruction of the Civil Defense Training Center and Firing Range at the Eaton Canyon site offers a timely opportunity to address these issues. Design work on the $300,000 phase is currently underway under the Public Works Department, following the Planning Commission's approval in January 2026. This project will serve as the primary joint training facility for the Police and Fire Departments.
This incident underscores that restoring physical infrastructure alone is insufficient; the new facility must be designed to instill and reinforce a culture of uncompromising firearm safety.
I respectfully request that the Public Safety Committee take the following actions:
1. Schedule a dedicated briefing at your June 17, 2026 meeting (or as soon as practicable) with representatives from Public Works, the Pasadena Police Department, and the Fire Department on the current design plans for the new firing range and training center.
2. Direct staff to incorporate state-of-the-art safety and training features in the rebuilt facility, including advanced simulation systems, enhanced muzzle-discipline training bays, POST- aligned perishable skills programs, and physical safeguards against negligent discharges.
3. Ensure the design respectfully acknowledges the mid-century architectural contribution of Harold B. Zook, who designed key elements of the original 1958 Civil Defense Center, while prioritizing modern, fire-resilient, and functional public safety infrastructure.
4. Require a written report on how lessons learned from the September 2025 incident — and other recent use-of-force reviews — will be embedded in both the facility design and future training protocols.
Rebuilding this essential asset provides Pasadena with the chance not only to restore what was lost in the Eaton Fire but to restore and elevate standards of officer safety and professionalism.
Pasadena residents deserve a training facility that sets a new benchmark for excellence.
I remain available to discuss this matter further or to provide additional information to the Committee. Thank you for your continued leadership on public safety.
Sincerely,
William Paparian
Former Mayor of Pasadena