Footage has revealed the moment a California police officer accidentally shot a colleague while jokingly raising loaded guns at each other.

Newly released dashcam footage from the Pasadena police department shows the moment an officer is hit in the shoulder in what officials called a “horseplay” accident.

During the incident, which took place inside a Pasadena police parking garage in September 2025, a police car pulled up behind two officers standing outside another vehicle.

One officer then draws his gun and points it inside the car. A few seconds later, he reholsters the weapon.

A gunshot is then heard from inside the car as the bullet travels through the windshield and hits the other officer.

Gene Harris, a Pasadena police chief, said the incident involved “unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms”.

He added that the wounded officer “sustained serious injuries” but has since recovered. Neither of the officers involved has been publicly named.

Mr Harris said that disciplinary action had been taken and that the conduct seen in the video did not reflect the department’s standards or expectations.

“The incident remains under investigation and review by the Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office,” he added.