Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Police officers spend their careers warning the public not to play around with firearms. Apparently, that message occasionally needs to be repeated in the squad room, too.
The Pasadena Police Department has released surveillance video showing a September 2025 incident in which an officer was seriously injured after what Chief Gene Harris described as “horseplay” involving loaded firearms inside a department parking structure.
According to the department and reporting from Police1 and ABC 7 Los Angeles, the incident occurred around 6:20 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2025, just before officers were set to begin their shifts.
The video shows a patrol vehicle pulling into the garage where two officers are standing near another vehicle. One of the officers then draws his handgun and points it at the arriving officer in what investigators later described as horseplay.
After several seconds, the officer holsters his weapon. What happened next turned a bad decision into a potentially deadly one.
SEE ALSO: M&P 2.0 10mm Review: Big Power, No Brick Feel
According to Chief Harris, the officer sitting in the patrol vehicle also drew his firearm. Unlike the first officer, however, his gun discharged. The round traveled through the vehicle’s windshield and struck the other officer in the shoulder. Fortunately, the wounded officer survived.
The department characterized the incident as resulting from “unsafe and out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms.”
Let that sink in for a second. Not a high-risk warrant service. Not a foot chase. And, not a violent suspect. A police parking garage.
Chief Harris discussed the incident.
The shooting resulted from officers engaged in unsafe and out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms,” Harris said in the department’s critical incident video.
The chief called the officers’ actions unacceptable and said the department has taken disciplinary action following an internal administrative investigation. Officials have not disclosed the specific discipline imposed or whether any officers were placed on leave.
The investigation remains ongoing, with both Pasadena Police and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reviewing the incident.
For firearms instructors and supervisors, the video serves as a painful reminder that complacency can be just as dangerous as a criminal suspect.
SEE ALSO: Vortex Talon HD 10K Review: A 10,000-Yard Beast
The four fundamental firearm safety rules don’t take a day off because you’re in uniform. In fact, they’re arguably more important when officers are around one another in informal settings where vigilance tends to slip.
Most officers watching the video will probably have the same reaction: “What were they thinking?” That’s a fair question.
Law enforcement professionals are held to a higher standard because they carry firearms every day and are entrusted with extraordinary responsibilities. Incidents like this not only put officers at risk, but also damage public confidence in the profession.
The good news is that the injured officer survived. The bad news is that the outcome could have been far worse.
One slightly different angle, one ricochet, one round striking somewhere else, and this story could have ended with a funeral instead of an internal affairs investigation.
So we’re curious: Have you ever witnessed unsafe gun handling or horseplay involving firearms in law enforcement? How was it handled, and what should the consequences be when an officer violates the most basic firearm safety rules?
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
Another female CUNT, (can’t understand normal thinking).
what do you expect? The mayor of LA is a buffoon too. a corrupt gov’t. trains corrupt cops. silly gov’t. silly cops…. the TAXPAYERS will pick up the hospital bills? YEP
This is why I cringe at the idea of “shall issue” CCW. Plenty of idiots out there who dont have the mental capacity to responsibly carry deadly weapons. Training and permits dont guarantee this won’t happen, but I am sure it would reduce the numbers.
GOD invented “natural selection”. He is doing a GREAT job, ALL by Himself, FOREVER !
and how will you suggestion stop/prevent criminals from causing harm? not that i don’t like when they kill each other!
makes LE’s look bad and it don’t help with gun owners in general, a few dumb asses there!
Holy crap! Basic gun safety rules are simply not followed at all. All 3 of these a$$holes should be fired including the one watching and obviously not telling the others to stop doing stupid stuff. I sure would not one of these guys pointing a gun at me during a traffic stop. Someone could accidently end up dead.
My comment would just be called racist, so I will abstain.
It starts at the top. With Chief Harris.
We don’t do accountability anymore. If we did, those cops would have been immediately terminated and prohibited from ever holding a LEO job again.
I wonder if this is a thing done by young cops and whether that same thing was done 20, 30, 40 years ago or more. We just seem to have a different breed of police officer these days shooting unarmed and mentally ill weaponless people etc.… Or maybe this used to happen and we just hear about it more “thanks“ to the Internet.
so you decided to call out all cops over this…….typical leftist crap spewer!
Go away boy, ya Botha me… spree, lmao
Had a couple of captains practicing quick draws in the dayroom during DESERT STORM, LUCKY the discharge round went in tp the floor.
Both cops should be fired, there police certification revoked, and neither should be allowed to be a cop or anything else that requires the handling of firearms. But we all know there will be zero accountability.
Early in my career, I’ve seen this stupid behavior among cops. I had it done once to me but I didn’t return the favor. I said; “next time you draw your weapon on me, I’m going to shove it up your ass”. I think he really understood and was in no shape to physically challenge me. Both these officers should be severely disciplined for acting like total idiots.
Good grief, you would think the police of all people would know better than horse play with loaded weapons, or even unloaded weapons. Guns are not toys. This sends a really bad message to the general public. Hopefully this two maroons were terminated, otherwise it’ll send ANOTHER bad message – that’s there’s no accountability within police departments.
Probably using Glocks or another pistol with NO safety. Happens more often than you think. Pistols without safeties are just plain stupid.
Obviously no you absolutely nothing about Glocks, or probably any firearm for that matter. Not only is Glock one of the most popular sidearms among law enforcement and military agencies, it’s also one of the safest. Why do you think that is, because they are not safe, reliable firearms? Glocks have three redundant and independent internal safeties and can NOT fire unless you pull the trigger. PERIOD!
The only thing that is “just plain stupid” are comments for anti-gun lefties like yourself that spews these idiotic rhetoric-filled left-wing taking points and don’t have a clue what they are talking about.
I know more about firearms than you ever will. I never heard of any branch of the military using Glocks. More police use them because they are cheap and yes admittedly reliable. Many police departments have replaced their Glocks with Sigs. Because they are NOT a safe pistol. You are most likely 30 something so you know everything. I was collecting guns before you were born. A 5 to 6 pound trigger pull with a safety on the trigger? Why not carry a 1911 cocked and un-locked (although the Glock will be safer if dropped). I do have a Glock in the car but with a SAF-T-BLOK Trigger Safety Block. Your statement about the gun will not fire unless you press the trigger. Well, no kidding. Anti-gun lefty my ass know-it-all. I served this country for 10 years; I am an 80 yr. old Vietnam Vet. Go kiss your Glock.
Quoting you Bill; “I know more about firearms than you ever will.” Really? Why, because you’re a “…80 yr. old Vietnam Vet”? That makes you an expert? No, that makes you a know-it-all. The rest is up to interpretation. BTW – (that means by the way, Bill), thank you for your service.
Yes – you are SLIGHTLY older than I am but know nothing about my history, as a gun dealer and collector, being in numerous gun and shooting organizations, or me buying one of the first Glock Gen 1 17’s old in the USofA back in the mid-80’s. Fan boy of Glocks? Yeah, probably so, especially after meeting Gaston Glock 16 years ago and got to pick his brain for about 30 minutes.
Again quoiting your comment; “I never heard of any branch of the military using Glocks” … I guess you never learned how to use a search engine like Google (ever heard of it, Bill?) or any other search engine for that matter. If you had, a quick search would show MANY military branches in the US alone are still using Glocks, including at least five branches of the US Special Forces, which you should know because you’re “an old Vietnam Vet” and know more than I ever will – right? And just to set the record straight, many foreign country militaries use Glock’s including Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Norway, just to name a few. Google is your friend, Bill.
And those police departments you claim switched to Sig, you’re right, and the same ones now realize how big a mistake it was and are switching BACK to Glocks. I have nothing against Sig, matter of fact I own a P220 that went through our police armorer to fix that stupid factory 8lb SA/14lb DA trigger pull. And you think that’s better than Glock’s 5.5lb trigger pull, which is the same across their whole product line?
Do you have any idea why the US and most other militaries dropped the 1911 forty years ago as their standard issue side arm? There are several reason; slow rate of fire, limited magazine capacity, heavy, and yes – too many ‘gadgets’ to fail or have to focus on, i.e, thumb safety, grip safety, half-cock notch, disconnector, etc. AND they are notorious for jamming, stove-pipping AND going off if dropped. I own several 1911’s including a first generation Colt, and yes, I prefer a Glock for my CCW carry weapon.
Why you ask? Because if I pick it up and pull the trigger it goes bang. I don’t have to worry about what carry condition it’s in. And I rest easy knowing it won’t fire until I do pull the trigger. BTW – I own 12 Glocks, from that Gen 1 I mentioned all the way up to my latest Gen 6. I own one of the first Gen 2 10mm’s imported from Austria into the US in the early 90’s. And all have that same 5.5lb trigger pull as my latest Gen 6. So yes, I know a little bit about Glocks and not some stupid left-wing anti-gun taking point I overheard while watching ‘The view’.
Hell Bill, even YOU admit you own a Glock as your ‘car gun’ but admittedly you’re so insecure about it and the history of Glock you had to have it butchered and ruined with that stupid and unneeded “SAF-T-BLOK Trigger Safety Block”. Glocks already have that. FYI (for your information, Bill) it’s that little do-dad on the bottom of the trigger that keeps it from firing without proper engagement of the whole trigger, not just the little lever – in case you wouldn’t aware. That “SAF-T-BLOK Trigger Safety Block” you’re so proud of isn’t necessary and a waste of money.
Maybe you should stick with your tried and true 1911 if you’re comfortable carrying that. You swear by it, why worry yourself by carrying that dangerous and unsafe Glock?
Rest easy Bill, I’ve never seen ANY gun jump up and shoot someone without a little help, like pulling the trigger first, except a Sig – even Glocks! Now – since you already have your head up it, go ahead and kiss your own arse.
I would say ur a little upset. (smiley face)
Not because I was in the Military. I collect firearms because of the investment in some cases and because of interest in them.
You are long-winded one aren’t you Glock-BOY. “Yes, Glock pistols are used by specific U.S. military units, including special operations forces and the Coast Guard”. It is limited and usually for specific situations. You really are confused about the safety on the Glock aren’t you? I use the saf-t-block for added safety. You are a rambling long-winded confused person. If you have no respect for you elders (obviously) maybe have respect for your “Betters” . Good-bye Glock-boy.
Sorry but the 1911 has 3 safeties. The thumb safety, the grip safety and the firing pin safety. Sorry you are both wrong 1911 pistols do not go off if dropped. Wrong. The reason why the military chose to replace it was strictly capacity and it takes alot of time to learn the manual of arms for a 1911. So they decided to go with a more simple gun to train on, with more capacity. Fun fact. Glock actually sent them a Glock 19 with a thumb safety for the trials cause it was part of the bid specs. .
Au contraire, mon frère – Yes, long winded, my brain hasn’t turn to mush yet. I do have respect for the elderly, even the not so smart ones. 🫡
where else but the califapornifakation would they be sooooooo stupid. they have a state that is full of democrats that are liars, hate Americans, aiding and abetting illegal border insurgents, trans gender groomers, pedophiles, antifa, drug cartels, human trafficking, murderers, rapists, money launderers, defunding police, defunding ICE, defunding TSA, and supports communists to destroy America, therefore voting for any democrat for any office is a vote to destroy America. Period!
Only the really stupid, and illegal fake voter ballots, vote for this bunch.