Pasadena: Man, 38, shot by police

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Leroy Barnes Jr., a 38-year-old black man, was shot by police officers 11 times during a traffic stop on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, at Mentone Street and Washington Boulevard in Pasadena, officials said.

Pasadena Police Department officials said two officers fired at Barnes, of Pasadena, after he pulled a .32-caliber Colt handgun from a backpack and pointed it at them.

The department had originally said the shooting took place outside the car, but after conducting more interviews and gathering additional evidence, officials determined the shooting took place in the car during a struggle over the gun, said Janet Pope-Givens, a department spokeswoman.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California called for an independent investigation into the shooting, saying shifting accounts provided by police raised ‘troubling questions about whether the officers involved in the incident purposely provided false information.’

According to police, Barnes was an admitted gang member with a criminal history that dated back to 1989. Barnes had 13 convictions -- six misdemeanors and seven felonies, including assault, robbery, spousal abuse and discharge of a firearm in public, Pope-Givens said.

In a 1993 incident, Barnes fired at police officers in a park in broad daylight, Pope-Givens said. He was convicted and spent seven years in state prison for that offense. He was on active parole at the time of his death, having been released in April 2008 after serving four years behind bars for another conviction.

-- Andrew Blankstein