California officer shot, killed knife-wielding man after attack outside police headquarters: bodycam video

The Santa Monica Police Department released bodycam footage Thursday of an attack on an officer in October that ended in a knife-wielding man being shot and killed outside the department's headquarters.

The incident took place at around 5:21 p.m. Oct. 5, when the officer was heading outside the building to talk to a woman about an unrelated call, according to the department. 

The officer's bodycam video showed three people outside – the suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, the woman and another man.

"Let me talk to them first, and then we can talk," the officer can be heard telling Halaibeh, who approached him at the door.

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Halaibeh, who had one hand inside his jacket, asked if the other people were at the building first, and the woman said she was. He then began to talk before the officer cut him off to ask 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," the officer said.

"You're nervous?" Halaibeh said, then lunged at the officer with a knife. The officer was stabbed and slashed before he was able to run to the side of the building and arm himself with his gun, all while Halaibeh attacked him.

The officer fired a few shots, causing Halaibeh to stumble and drop his knife. He picked the knife back up and began walking toward the officer again before he was shot.

Santa Monica Police said he was pronounced dead outside the station. The officer was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

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Halaibeh, a resident of New York, had no criminal history in California and no prior contact with Santa Monica Police, the department said. It's unclear what prompted him to attack the officer.

The knife he used was an eight-inch chef's knife that was part of a pack he snatched from a Target employee minutes before arriving at the police station, according to surveillance video. Halaibeh allegedly assaulted the employee during the theft.

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

"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," a statement from the department said. 

"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."