Earlier this year, a Pasadena police officer was involved in an incident in an attempt to de-escalate an arrest that could’ve gotten violent. Following that day, she was placed on leave from the department.
Now, she’s taking legal action.
Officer Taisyn Crutchfield, 28, filed a lawsuit against the Pasadena Police Department alleging she was racially discriminated against for trying to practice good policing. The lawsuit details the incident from Feb. 20 when officers responded to an argument involving two Black teens.
Body camera footage shows a group of Pasadena officers surround the teens and a Black woman who appeared to be trying to break up the altercation. The officers grabbed the boys, arrested them and placed them in the back of a patrol car.
In another bodycam video, the woman is seen being detained and accusing a white male officer of being aggressive with her. The woman and the officer begin arguing and Crutchfield approaches the cop, pressing against him in an attempt to push him away from the woman. “Don’t do that,” he says to her while she’s heard telling him to calm down. A sergeant then ordered both cops to go back to the station.
Following this incident, Crutchfield claims she was retaliated against by the department.
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Crutchfield was placed on paid administrative leave for six months after being sent back to the department, claiming that she was never given any reason for her punishment. On Friday, Crutchfield’s family was joined by her attorney Brad Gage at a press conference outside of the Pasadena Police Department. She was not present as she is still an active patrol officer.
“She’s doing the right thing, she doesn’t believe in a code of silence. She doesn’t believe in circling the wagons,” Gage said. “She believes in integrity, honesty and safety.”
Her actions are reminiscent of the internet’s favorite cop, Officer Krystal Smith. In 2020, she was seen in a viral video accosting her colleague for shoving a demonstrator who was peacefully protesting while kneeling on the ground. In that case, the attention turned to the officer accused of pushing the civilian and Smith faced no punishment, per CNN.
On the other hand, Crutchfield says she was retaliated against for doing the right thing. The administrative charges she received have not been made available by the Pasadena Police Department.