Police said the man charged at officers during an unrelated domestic violence investigation in Palisades Park near Ocean Avenue.
SANTA MONICA, CA — A Santa Monica police officer fatally shot a man Saturday after authorities said he charged at officers with a knife while they were investigating an unrelated domestic violence report in Palisades Park.
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Aug. 22 near the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Officers had gone to the park to investigate the domestic violence report and were interviewing witnesses when the armed man approached, police said. Authorities said he was not connected to the incident that originally brought officers to the park.
Police Chief Darrick Jacob said the man continued advancing after officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife. An officer then fired, striking the man. Jacob said during a briefing that the officer fired one shot and that investigators recovered a large knife at the scene.
Police and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel provided emergency medical care before the man was taken to a hospital. He was pronounced dead at about 1:49 p.m., according to police. Authorities described him as a man in his 40s but had not publicly released his name as of early Sunday. Police said identification and notification of his family were still being completed.
The officer who fired was not injured, and police said no members of the public were hurt. Authorities also had not publicly identified the officer. The department has not released video of the encounter or provided a detailed account of the man’s actions before he approached the officers beyond saying he charged at them while holding a knife.
The shooting took place in Palisades Park along Ocean Avenue, near the Santa Monica Pier and other heavily visited areas of the city’s waterfront. Investigators closed portions of the park Saturday while they documented the scene, interviewed witnesses and collected evidence. Police asked people to avoid the area while that work continued.
Jacob said investigators would examine body-worn camera recordings and other available video from the area as part of the inquiry. The department’s initial statement did not announce any conclusions about whether the officer’s use of deadly force complied with department policy or state law. Those determinations had not been publicly released.
Several key details remain unknown, including the identities of the man and the officer and what happened immediately before the man allegedly began moving toward police. Authorities said the investigation remains active and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 23, 2026.