Photo: Getty Images
A Pasadena, California police officer has filed a lawsuit stemming from an incident where a colleague allegedly put a Black boy's face into a plant with thorns.
According to Fox 11, officer Taisyn Crutchfield is suing the Pasadena Police Department over alleged racial discrimination and profiling.
Crutchfield's attorney Bradley Gage said the lawsuit stems from a January incident that occurred after a Black man was shot and killed by police. Roughly a month after the fatal shooting, the man's sons were out on the streets when they encountered an officer who grabbed one boy and put his face into a flower that contained a cactus with sharp thorns.
Crutchfield used her police training to de-escalate the situation and attempted to push the officer away. In response, Crutchfield's colleague allegedly used foul language. A sergeant later arrived at the scene and relieved Crutchfield of her duties.
According to Crutchfield's attorney, the January incident was among several incidents where she was treated differently than other officers. Gage also accused the city of Pasadena of a history of racial profiling and shooting Black men.
Throughout her time working for the department, Crutchfield and her team allege that several officers who were accused of using racial slurs and engaging in discrimination were promoted to higher ranks.
The City of Pasadena called Crutchfield's allegations "inaccurate" in the following statement.
"The City of Pasadena is aware of a claim filed on Thursday, November 30 against the City on behalf of a member of the Pasadena Police Department.
The facts alleged about the incident are inaccurate, as is evident in the video: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/police/critical-incident-briefings/incident-information-video-incident-number-pa2023-13545/
The City will vigorously defend itself in this matter and the facts will prevail. The Pasadena Police Department proudly serves the residents of Pasadena with honor and integrity, and is proud of its diversity throughout all ranks of the Department."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.