Newly released body-camera video captures the tense moment Santa Monica police shot a man who advanced toward them with a knife while officers were handling an unrelated investigation.
The footage shows two officers talking with witnesses near the busy Santa Monica Pier on Aug. 22. During the conversation, they notice a man approaching with a serrated knife raised above his head.
As the man moves closer, both officers repeatedly order him to “Put that down!” while retreating to create distance between themselves and the armed individual.
When the man begins moving more quickly toward the officers, one of them fires a single shot, striking him in the chest. The video shows the man dropping the knife moments later.
An officer then kicks the weapon out of reach before beginning CPR on the wounded man.
The man was later identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as 44-year-old Michael Rodriguez. He died at a hospital.
Neither the officers nor anyone else in the public was injured. Investigators recovered two more knives from Rodriguez—one on his body and another inside his backpack.
The knife Rodriguez held while approaching police featured a sharp, serrated edge along its hilt, giving it an appearance similar to a combat knife.
A sheathed knife recovered from the backpack had a similar appearance. Officers also found a second knife in Rodriguez’s pocket with a perforated metal handle wrapped in material.
Authorities have not said what prompted Rodriguez to move toward the officers.
Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob issued a statement emphasizing the department’s obligation to provide transparency surrounding the deadly police shooting.
“Our officers answer calls for help knowing the circumstances can change in an instant. On August 22, they encountered an armed individual while assisting with an unrelated call,” Jacob said.
“I recognize the lasting impact an incident like this can have on the officers and personnel who responded, and they have my support. When a life is lost during a police encounter, our responsibility to provide a clear and open account is especially important. Releasing this video is an important step in providing that account to our community,” he added.
Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis praised the officers’ response to the incident.
“I am grateful for the courage our officers showed in the face of an armed threat and for
the lifesaving efforts that followed,” Torosis said.
“Our officers are part of this community, and violence against them puts everyone around us at risk. Their safety is inseparable from the safety of the people they serve. The officers and personnel who responded that day deserve our gratitude and support for their bravery, compassion, and commitment to Santa Monica,” she added.
Several investigations — including an officer-involved shooting review from the Los Angele County District Attorney’s Office, an internal Santa Monica Police Department inquiry, and a criminal investigation into the incident — remain ongoing.
