Cop accidentally shoots colleague during parking-garage horseplay, video shows

A Pasadena police officer accidentally shot a colleague in the shoulder during what police described as “unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay” inside the department’s parking garage last September. Dash-cam footage from a police cruiser, released nearly 10 months after the incident, shows the moment when Officer Roy Alatorre drew his sidearm and the weapon discharged, sending a single round through his windshield and striking the other officer.

The injured officer, who has since recovered, was standing behind a Ford Explorer police cruiser with its trunk open when the incident unfolded. The video, which lacks audio, shows the officer on the passenger side of the Explorer first drawing and pointing his gun at the approaching cruiser before reholstering it.

Moments later, Alatorre pointed his own firearm toward the other officer; his weapon fired, and the bullet traveled through the cruiser’s windshield. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office confirmed it has not yet received a report from the Pasadena Police Department regarding the shooting.

Chief Gene Harris called the conduct “inappropriate” and “regretful,” noting that Alatorre has since left the department. Harris also stated that the incident has been referred for criminal review to the DA’s office and to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo condemned the behavior as “unacceptable” and reiterated support for the chief’s disciplinary actions. The footage was withheld for nearly 10 months under a state-law exemption that allows police to delay release of critical-incident recordings during ongoing investigations.