Videos offer Glendale residents a glimpse into police work
In the video, a man sat shaking behind the wheel of his car, repeating, quickly through short breaths, that he loved his family.
Glendale police had stopped the body builder on suspicion of driving under the influence, discovering later that he was on cocaine and PCP.
Several officers, including a sergeant recording the encounter, stood outside the driver’s door, trying to calm him down while asking about his medical history.
“You’re going to be OK. Breathe, buddy,” one said, before the man was asked to step out.
After the driver ignored orders to get out of the car, police went to pull him out, while patting his back. Shaking, the man punched an officer in the face.
The camera then fell to the ground, but police said the man was shot twice with a Taser before his arrest.
Police officials showed the video, along with two others, on Tuesday at the latest in a series of Glendale City Council “Work Boot” meetings, which let residents learn firsthand about the inner workings of the city. This one was organized to show how officers are trained to respond when even the most routine encounters turn violent.
The meeting was put on the books following several high-profile police shootings and deadly attacks on law enforcement across the country amid a national debate about policing, race and use of force.
Locally in recent years, Glendale police have seen an uptick in gun-related arrests, while assaults on officers have gone up, said Police Chief Robert Castro.
“People are more actively resisting us,” he said.
Last year, 45 people were arrested with guns, compared to 20 the year before, according to agency statistics. This year, so far, that number is 27.
“I think it gives us all a different perspective on what officers go through every day,” Mayor Paula Devine said of the meeting. “I think we can see how difficult it is to react, and react correctly, every single time. It’s not easy.”
In another clip, a Glendale patrol officer pulled over to stop a man, who was jaywalking while waving a knife, early one November morning last year.
As the man breached the so-called 21-foot rule — which states that someone armed with an edged weapon poses a threat from that distance because of the time it takes an officer to react — the officer fired one shot from his gun.
The man was struck in the abdomen, after which he turned around and slowly walked away, eventually sitting at a nearby bus stop.
“It took one round to stop the threat,” said Sgt. Robert William, adding that if the suspect had continued advancing, the officer would’ve shot him again. “The fact that the officer didn’t continue firing shows a great deal of restraint.”
During the meeting, police officials pointed to new programs at the department, including the recently formed Mental Health Evaluation Team and the push to certify 30 Glendale police officers as EMTs by the end of next year. Also recently, officers trained on how to deliver medical aid in active-shooter situations, when it’s too dangerous for paramedics to enter a scene.
“We’re not resting,” Castro said. “We’re continuing looking at ways that we can improve our value to the community we serve.”
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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @atchek
