Pasadena police shoot man during traffic stop, uses pepper spray against crowd after incident

PASADENA, Calif. - A man is dead after being shot by Pasadena police, officials said Sunday.

During a traffic stop just before 8 p.m. Saturday, near Raymond Avenue and Grandview Street, two male officers saw the passenger flee, Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe said.  

They chased the man down Raymond Street when something happened to elevate things, although it was unclear what occurred, he said.  

Get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

According to a news release, the passenger fled after preventing the police from searching him. He ran into the street holding his waistband and removed a firearm, police said.  

Both officers noticed the man had a gun, according to Grisafe.  

At least one officer fired twice at the man, striking him at least once in the upper torso, police said.  

It was unclear whether the other officer also shot at the suspect.   The suspect continued to run away after being hit, throwing the gun into the street, according to police.  

The man collapsed and was detained, Grisafe said.

Police called paramedics once they determined the man had been struck by at least one bullet, he said.

The ambulance arrived within five minutes, he added.  

The man succumbed to his injuries slightly before 10 p.m., Grisafe said.   A semiautomatic handgun was recovered from the scene, police said.  

The man who drove the vehicle was taken into custody and is cooperating with investigators, police said.  

After the shooting, a crowd formed.

Police used a Taser to subdue a man in his 30s, Grisafe said, shortly after the suspect died.  

The crowd became more incensed and police used pepper spray to control them. A boy who was in the crowd was hit by residual pepper spray and had to be treated by paramedics, Grisafe said.  

The boy's mother got her hands on some pepper spray and used it on one of the officers, he said.  

It was unclear whether the officers took any action against the woman, but at least one person was arrested, according to media reports.