Allegations of racism, assault and retaliation against Pasadena police

A group of current and former officers of the Pasadena Police Department say they were victims of attacks, racism and retaliation during their time on duty.

At a press conference Thursday outside Pasadena Police Headquarters announcing the filing of a lawsuit, attorney Brad Gage laid out his clients’ damning allegations against the PPD, including one allegation that a commander choked an officer and another in which an officer was kicked in the leg so hard that he required surgery.

“Allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation,” the lawyer said.

Gage claims his clients, some of whom are people of color, have been mistreated by a flawed system over the years, with three of them being assaulted and one being subjected to racial slurs.

He even accused the department of having two police gangs.

One of his clients, Carolyn Gordon, a 29-year PPD employee, also spoke at the press conference.

“I felt it was not safe to come here today, but I felt it was necessary,” she said.

Gordon said she was passed over for positions and faced retaliation. In one incident, she says, she was shot in the groin with a paintball gun during a training exercise.

“When I fell to the ground, I was told I was a crybaby,” she explained. “I endured the pain for several days and then sought treatment. Later I was told I had internal bleeding.”

While police department officials said they could not comment on pending litigation, David Llanes, president of the Pasadena Police Association, spoke with KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw.

Llanes, an active officer in the department, said the allegations were false and similar to allegations made against him 20 years ago that he paid a suspect to attack an intern.

“When they had to name me for my incident in 2004, the case was taken to court,” he said. “There was an evidentiary hearing with depositions and it was proven that the person who made the allegations was lying.”

Llanes added that he was aware that the department was not perfect, but felt that Thursday’s press conference was inappropriate.

“I say the circus in front of our police station is not the right place for this,” he said.

In total, Gage said, six victims have come forward and four have filed lawsuits.