[dropcap size=big]O[/dropcap]n Wednesday night, the "Justice for Anthony McClain Caravan" took place in Pasadena. It was an organized action to commemorate and raise awareness of his recent death by an officer in the Pasadena Police Department last Saturday evening. A video released on Wednesday shows a Pasadena police officer pressing McClain into the ground after he had already been shot. The police also released photographs of a handgun recovered at the scene that they say belonged to McClain. However, McClain’s family and attorney assert that the “shiny object” that was seen on McClain in another video was his belt buckle—not a gun. Pasadena Star-News published a thorough report of the officer-involved shooting.
McClain was eventually transported to a local hospital that same evening where he was pronounced dead.
In the video, one of the officers can be seen firing two gunshots towards McClain as he ran away from the officers who had stopped him for a traffic stop. The narrator in the video discloses that McClain dropped to the ground soon after being shot. The autopsy report has not been released yet.
Protesters met at La Pintoresca Park in Pasadena, across the street from where officers pressed McClain into the ground. Bloodstained grass is still visible where the incident took place. After speeches from some of the community organizers (@blacklivesmatterpasadena), the caravan headed out for the roughly three-mile march to the current Mayor of Pasadena's house, Terry Tornek. Witnesses tell L.A. Taco there were more than 200 cars present in the caravan protest.
They made their way through Old Pasadena where residents ate dinner at restaurants. In passing through the predominantly White neighborhood to get to the Mayor's house, many residents came out of their homes. Some stared, some cheered, and some yelled, "All Lives Matter" in response to the caravan.
When they arrived at the Mayor’s home, the caravan made their clear list of demands including the release of the names of the officers involved in McClains death, the release of the unedited bodycam footage, all surrounding surveillance footage, and the termination and prosecution of all officers involved in the shooting. The Mayor listened and agreed with the protesters and said he would do everything he could to help.
Aside from one small altercation with one of a resident who shouted “All Lives Matter” at the caravan, there were no other reported incidents.
