A judge on Thursday said an independent report on the officer-involved shooting of 19-year-old Kendrec McDade should be made public — at least in part.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said he will allow a release of a copy of the report with some parts deleted.
“Information in the report that recites or relies upon the administrative investigation must be redacted,” Chalfant wrote.
Chalfant said the Pasadena Police Officers’ Association can ask for more deletions by Tuesday. He said he would compare the edited and unedited versions, then set a status conference.
Kendrec McDade was fatally shot by Pasadena police officers Mathew Griffin and Jeffrey Newlen in March 2012. An internal probe resulted in both officers being cleared by an internal investigation and by the District Attorney’s Office.
McDade’s parents accepted a $1 million settlement from the city of their federal wrongful death lawsuit.
The report at issue was presented by the Office of Independent Review Group. It features an account of the shooting and presents recommendations for changes in department policy.
Chalfant granted a temporary restraining order that prevented the basic facts of the shooting from being made public at the request of the Pasadena police union.
In today’s ruling, he said some of the report should be released.
“Contrary to plaintiff’s position, the the fact that the OIR contains privileged information does not convert the entire document to protected status,” Chalfant wrote.
The Pasadena NAACP, ACLU board member Kris Ockershauser and members of the media objected to the union’s bid to keep the report sealed.
— City News Service