Santa Monica police fatally shoot knife-wielding suspect in Palisades Park
Man carrying knife shot in Santa Monica, police say
Officers were taking a domestic violence report when a man who had no connection to that call came at them with a knife and ignored repeated commands to drop it, Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - A man in his mid-40s died Saturday after a Santa Monica police officer shot him in Palisades Park, a stretch of bluff above the beach that draws tourists year-round.
Officers were interviewing witnesses on a domestic violence call when a man who was not connected to that call charged at them with a knife, Police Chief Darrick Jacob said at an afternoon briefing outside department headquarters.
The man's name has not been released. Investigators have not said what led him to approach the officers.
What we know:
Officers responded to the 1400 block of Palisades Park, near Ocean Avenue, at about 12:49 p.m. on a reported domestic violence incident.
While they were speaking with witnesses, a man who was not involved in the original call charged toward them while armed with a knife, Jacob said. The man ignored repeated commands to drop the knife and kept advancing. One officer fired, striking him.
Officers began lifesaving measures at the scene, and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel took over emergency medical care. The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at about 1:49 p.m.
A knife was recovered. Jacob said he had not seen the weapon himself but was told it was large.
No officers or members of the public were hurt, and Jacob said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
What they're saying:
Jacob described the seconds before the shooting.
"The suspect ignored repeated commands to drop the knife and continued to advance toward the officers. One officer discharged their firearm, striking the individual."
Asked whether the man was homeless or in mental distress, Jacob would not go further than a single qualified answer.
"There's some indications that the subject may be transient, but we're not going to make any judgment about his mental capabilities at this particular time. We just don't know enough about the situation."
Miguel Evereteze and Byankha Cavazos were at an Airbnb directly across Ocean Avenue.
"We had a window open and we're just talking, having a normal day. And then all of a sudden we hear a pop," Evereteze said.
What struck him was what did not happen next.
"I noticed nobody ran," he said.
He watched officers work on the man in the park.
"I did see the police officers offering care to him. They did that for a long time, honestly," Evereteze said.
The two of them left the window with different afternoons behind them.
"I just feel like it's a shame that I've seen things like that happen before," Evereteze said.
"It was a little traumatizing for me, because I haven't seen anything like that before," Cavazos said.
Across Ocean Avenue, a group of women visiting from Salt Lake City were expecting a patio meal with a postcard view but instead got a front-row seat to true crime.
"It’s definitely a story that we can take home with us. It’s very interesting to just eat our dinner here and have something so scary happen just a few feet from us," Bell Mackey, one of the visitors, said.
Ryan, a visitor who arrived to find the park taped off, said the location was what unsettled him.
"Especially in such a tourist area, it's really scary to see that it's so close to where people actually do their daily stuff."
Evereteze and Cavazos, who came to Los Angeles from Atlanta, said the afternoon is one they won't soon forget.
"It's not going to totally ruin our trip, but it was just a shock. We thought we were coming to a very nice area," Evereteze said.
"But also, it is LA, so," Cavazos said.
What we don't know:
The man's identity has not been released. Jacob said only that he was male and in his mid-40s.
Investigators have not said what prompted him to approach the officers, whether he said anything before he was shot, or how many rounds were fired. Jacob declined to answer those questions at the briefing.
The name of the officer who fired has not been released.
Jacob said there are indications the man may have been transient but declined to characterize his mental state.
What's next:
Investigators are now reviewing video from body-worn cameras, surveillance from nearby businesses and witness accounts to determine what happened in the seconds before the shooting.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner will release the man's identity once he is formally identified and his next of kin is notified.
The department said it plans to release additional information as it becomes available.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the Santa Monica Police Department.