Pasadena releases body cam video of deadly March shootout

Pasadena police Friday released body camera footage showing Officer Bryan Vasquez exchanging gunfire with a suspect during a March 2 encounter near the Sierra Madre Villa Metro station that left the officer seriously wounded and the suspect dead.

The footage release, more than two months after the incident, comes as Southern California law enforcement agencies face growing pressure to publicly document use-of-force encounters; Pasadena police said they shared the video with the suspect's family before making it public.

The Pasadena Police Department released the footage Friday, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Officers had responded to a shooting call at the Sierra Madre Villa Metro station at approximately 7:30 p.m. on March 2, then located suspect Malcolm Buchanan, 32, a Pasadena resident, a few blocks from the station.

A foot chase ended in an exchange of gunfire captured on Vasquez's body camera. Buchanan was fatally wounded at the scene. Vasquez, a five-year veteran of the Pasadena Police Department, sustained serious injuries but survived and has since been released from the hospital. He remains on medical leave.

Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris praised the officer's response at a news conference Friday. "The officer's actions in that moment i think would be considered heroic," Harris told ABC7 Los Angeles. "It is always a tragedy anytime there is a loss of life ... that is not what we get into the business for and speaking to the officer is certainly not what he got into the business for, but we understand it is always a risk and potential for this type of incident to occur," the chief added.

Harris said the officer's training proved decisive. "I'm really proud that the officer relied on his training and really set in his mind that he was gonna get through this critical incident," Harris said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Police also released witness video that allegedly shows Buchanan sexually assaulting another victim shortly before the shooting, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Authorities published an image of the firearm they said belonged to the suspect. Buchanan's family told investigators he had struggled with mental health issues and may have been off his medication at the time of the incident.

Harris said Vasquez faces a prolonged recovery. "It's gonna take some time before he can get back to work and even do things that are just normal," the chief said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The department said the body camera footage was shared with Buchanan's family before its public release. The shooting remains under investigation.