The parents of a man who was fatally shot by Pasadena police in March have filed a claim against the city of Pasadena asserting wrongful death and excessive deadly force.
The claim, required before a lawsuit is filed against a public agency, is for the March 2 shooting of Malcolm Buchanan, 32, who was killed during what police say was an exchange of gunfire with officers near the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station.
Officer Bryan Vasquez was wounded.
A critical-incident report and video released by the Pasadena Police Department in May offers audio from the emergency call and body-camera footage during the altercation.
Buchanan allegedly assaulted a woman and shot another man attempting to stop the assault prior to his shootout with police.
Body-camera footage released by the police shows an officer chasing Buchanan along a street at night. According to the police, Buchanan paused, turned toward an officer and fired multiple rounds, prompting officers to return fire.
The claim alleges that Buchanan did not shoot Vasquez and that the wound may have come from friendly fire from another officer. It also alleges that Buchanan was struck and did not have access to a gun before officers fired the additional shots that may have killed Buchanan, resulting in what the claim dubs an “execution-style shooting.”
The critical-incident video released in May shows a firearm, which police reported was stolen, lying near Buchanan following the shootout.
The family is seeking to obtain the full, unedited footage of the encounter, alleging that Pasadena released a “heavily edited and redacted video” that lacks transparency, according to the claim. The family is also seeking testing to determine whether Buchanan fired the shot that hit Vasquez.
“I’m quite confident that all the body-camera footage put together is going to show that Malcolm Buchanan did not shoot that officer,” attorney Caree Harper said.
The family is seeking financial damages for expenses, emotional distress and wrongful death, according to the claim.
The claim also says that Pasadena has not disclosed any sobriety test for officers following the shooting, referencing a 2023 case in which Pasadena police officers allegedly consumed alcohol at a private party while in uniform.
The city received the claim on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and is in the process of reviewing it, said Lisa Derderian, a city spokesperson.