A Santa Monica police officer fatally shot a man in his mid-40s on Saturday afternoon after the man charged at officers with a knife near Palisades Park, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. near the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, a location adjacent to the busy Santa Monica Pier. Police were initially dispatched to the area for a reported domestic violence incident but were not involved in the original call.
While officers interviewed witnesses at the scene, an unrelated individual—later identified as the man in his 40s—approached with a knife and continued advancing despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, according to Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob.
Jacob stated that the suspect ignored the verbal orders and moved toward the officers, prompting one officer to discharge their firearm. The man was struck by gunfire and immediately received life-saving measures from responding officers. Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics also arrived to provide emergency medical care before the man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m.
The officer who fired the shots was not injured, and no members of the public were harmed in the incident. A knife was recovered at the scene. The Santa Monica Police Department confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and includes a review of body-worn camera footage.
Authorities have not yet released the man’s name, pending formal identification and notification of next of kin. The public has been advised to avoid the area as investigators continue gathering evidence and conducting a preliminary assessment of the scene.