Investigators say the man who stabbed a Santa Monica police officer outside the department’s headquarters this weekend had just had the knife stolen from a Target store earlier in the day.
The stabbing occurred on Saturday, October 5, around 5:20 p.m., when Santa Monica Police Department officers were stabbed multiple times during an unprovoked attack outside their station.
The officer, who has still not been identified, eventually opened fire on the suspect, killing him. On Tuesday, he was identified by police as 28-year-old man from upstate New York, Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh.
After days of investigation, detectives say Halaibeh is suspected of stealing from a Target store at 420 Broadway just minutes before the attack on the police station.
During the robbery, Halaibeh allegedly pushed an employee to the ground before grabbing a box of kitchen knives and running out of the store.
“The box was later found abandoned and one knife was missing,” the SMPD statement said. “This knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, was used by the suspect when he confronted the officer.”
Detectives say Halaibeh has no known criminal history and no known contacts within the police department.
The officer was discharged from hospital the next day and is expected to make a full recovery.
As the investigation continues, police are asking anyone with information to contact them at (310) 458-8427.
