Bodycam footage of an October attack on an officer outside the Santa Monica Police Department offices that resulted in the shooting and death of a man brandishing a knife was made public by the department on Thursday.
According to the agency, the officer was going outside the building to speak with a woman regarding an unrelated call at approximately 5:21 p.m. on October 5 when the incident occurred.
Three individuals were seen outside on the officer’s bodycam footage: the woman, another male, and the suspect, who was later identified as 28-year-old Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh.
The officer can be heard telling Halaibeh, who came up to him at the entrance, “Let me talk to them first, and then we can talk,”
The woman responded that she was the first person in the building when Halaibeh, with one hand inside his jacket, inquired about the other people’s presence. The officer interrupted him to inquire about what he was holding inside his jacket.
“What’s in your jacket? I’m kind of nervous with your hand inside your jacket like that,” according to the officer.
“You’re nervous?” After saying that, Halaibeh swung a knife at the officer. As Halaibeh attacked, the cop was cut and stabbed before he could flee to the side of the building and grab his rifle.
Halaibeh stumbled and dropped his knife when the officer fired a few shots. Before he was shot, he took up the knife and started to go in the direction of the officer.
He was declared dead outside the station, according to Santa Monica Police. After being transported to a hospital, the cop received treatment and was later released.
According to the agency, Halaibeh, a New York resident, had no prior interaction with Santa Monica Police and no criminal history in California. What made him attack the officer is unknown.
Surveillance footage shows that he used an eight-inch chef’s knife that was part of a pack he stole from a Target employee just before he got to the police station. During the theft, Halaibeh allegedly attacked the worker.
According to Santa Monica Police, the department recognizes the need of disclosing video and audio recordings of key situations within the 45 days allotted by California law, particularly when deadly force is employed.
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“The use of force by law enforcement personnel is a matter of critical concern, both to the public and to the law enforcement community. Every day, officers are involved in rapidly evolving interactions with members of the public and, when warranted, use reasonable force in carrying out their duties,” the department stated.
“This is especially true with respect to officers safeguarding the community and themselves from attacks and overcoming resistance while engaged in the performance of law enforcement duties. Officers and their supervisors are responsible for understanding their authority and its limitations and appreciating the serious consequences of every use of force.”
