Wounded California officer fatally shoots man in ‘unprovoked’ knife attack

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A California officer fatally shot a man who stabbed him outside a city police headquarters in what authorities described as an “unprovoked attack.”

A man in his 30s approached the male officer at the front door of the Santa Monica Police Department around 5:20 p.m. Saturday. The man was told he had to wait until the officer spoke with a resident, the department said.

“Without warning, the individual attacked the officer by pulling a knife from his clothing. The suspect slashed and stabbed the officer,” the department said in a statement posted on social media.

The officer armed himself and retreated around the corner of the building while the man continued the attack. The officer then shot the man, police said.

Santa Monica police and firefighters provided immediate medical assistance, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said.

The identity and state of health of the police officer were not initially known. KNBC-TV reported the officer was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, but police said he was expected to survive.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene. The Santa Monica Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will investigate, the department said.