A group of current and former officers with the Pasadena Police Department claim they have been subjected to assaults, racism and retaliation during their time on the force.
At a press conference Thursday in front of the Pasadena police headquarters to announce a lawsuit, attorney Brad Gage hurled damaging allegations made by his clients against PPD, including a claim in which a commander choked an officer and another where an officer was kicked so hard in the leg that he required surgery.
“Claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation,” the attorney said.
Gage alleges that his clients, several of whom are people of color, have been abused over the years by a faulty system, saying three of them were assaulted and one was subjected to racial slurs.
He even accused the department of having two police gangs on the force.
One of his clients, 29-year PPD veteran Carolyn Gordon, also spoke at the news conference.
“I felt coming here today was not safe, but I felt it was necessary,” she said.
Gordon said that she was passed up for positions and retaliated against and in one incident, says she was shot in the groin with a paintball gun during a training exercise.
“I was told as I went down that I was a crybaby,” she explained. “I endured the pain for several days and then I sought treatment. I was later told that I was bleeding internally.”
While officials at the police department said that they can’t speak on pending litigation, David Llanes, board member of the Pasadena Police Association, spoke to KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw.
An active-duty officer with the department, Llanes said these new claims are false, adding that he’s aware the department is not perfect but feels Thursday’s press conference was out of line.
“I am saying that the circus in front of our police department is not the avenue for it,” he said.
In total, Gage said that six victims have come forward and four lawsuits have been filed.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the title of David Llanes