A man was shot and killed after police said he stabbed a Santa Monica officer in an unprovoked attack Saturday night.
At around 5:21 p.m., an officer was standing outside the Santa Monica police station while speaking to a citizen.
The suspect, identified only as a man in his 30s, approached the officer.
Authorities said the officer asked the man to wait his turn as he was speaking to the other citizen. That’s when the suspect reportedly pulled a knife from his clothing and “slashed and stabbed the officer.”
The victim immediately backed away and armed himself with his weapon as the man reportedly followed the officer around a corner. At that point, the officer fired shots at the suspect, fatally wounding him, officials said.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was transported to the hospital with stab wounds but is expected to survive.
An internal investigation will be conducted on the incident by the Santa Monica Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information on the case or the suspect is asked to call the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.