California police officer kills knife-wielding man after surprise attack: body camera video

The Santa Monica Police Department released autopsy photos Thursday of an October attack on an officer that ended with a knife-wielding man being shot and killed outside the department’s headquarters.

The incident happened around 05:21 pm on October 5, when a police officer came out of the building to talk to a woman about an unrelated call, according to the department.

The policeman’s body camera video shows three people outside – the suspect, later identified as Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, 28, a woman and another man.

“Let me talk to them first, then we’ll talk,” the policeman was heard telling Halaibeh, approaching him at the door.

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Halaibeh, who had one hand in her coat, asked if other people were in the building first, and the woman said she was. He then began to speak before the officer interrupted him to ask what he had inside his coat.

“What’s in your jacket? I’m afraid your hand is inside your jacket,” said the officer.

“Are you scared?” Halaibeh said, then lunged at the police officer with a knife. The police officer was stabbed and cut before he could run to the side of the building and arm himself with his gun, when Halaibeh attacked him.

The officer fired several shots, causing Halaibeh to stumble and drop his knife. He picked up the knife and started walking towards the police officer before he was shot.

The knife Halaibeh used was an eight-inch chef’s knife he stole from Target before arriving at the police station, according to the video. (Santa Monica Police Department)

Santa Monica police said he was pronounced dead outside the station. The officer was taken to the hospital, received treatment and was released.

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Halaibeh, a New York resident, had no criminal history in California and had no prior contact with Santa Monica police, the department said. It is not clear what made him attack the officer.

The knife he used was an eight-inch chef’s knife that was part of a package he snatched from a Target employee minutes before he arrived at the police station, according to the video. Halaibeh is said to have beaten the employee during the theft.

Halaibeh was caught on surveillance video at Target attacking an employee after asking for a pack of knives in the back. He then ran from the store with the package to Santa Monica Police headquarters. (Santa Monica Police Department)

Santa Monica police said California law gives departments 45 days to release video and audio recordings of serious incidents, and the department understands the importance of doing so when deadly force is used.

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“The use of force by law enforcement officers is a matter of great importance, both to the public and to the police community. Every day, officers are involved in rapidly evolving interactions with members of the public and, when necessary, use reasonable force in the performance of their duties,” the department said in a statement.

“This is especially true regarding officers who protect the public and themselves from attacks and overcoming resistance while performing law enforcement duties. Police officers and their managers have a responsibility to understand their authority and its limitations and to be aware of the negative consequences of all use of force.”