Two shootings over two days left one man dead and another injured as a hot summer weekend turned violent in Santa Monica, according to police.
The first came Saturday afternoon, when a Santa Monica police officer shot and killed a man who charged at officers with a knife in Palisades Park. The second came Sunday night near the Santa Monica Pier ramp, where a robbery attempt escalated into gunfire that left a victim with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
Fatal officer-involved shooting
Officers were in the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue at approximately 12:49 p.m. Saturday investigating a reported domestic violence incident when a man not connected to that case ran toward them while holding a knife, according to Santa Monica Police.
The man ignored repeated commands to drop the knife and continued to advance on officers, Jacob said. One officer opened fire, striking the man.
Officers immediately began lifesaving measures, and Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics arrived and continued providing emergency medical care, police said. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m.
The officer was not injured, and no members of the public were hurt, according to police.
The man is described as being in his mid-40s and was homeless. Officers said the individual was not known to the department beforehand and may have been new to the area. His identity will be released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office once formal identification is complete and his next of kin has been notified, police said.
A knife was recovered at the scene and police said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
SMPD said investigators preserved evidence, interviewed witnesses and reviewed all available information, including body-worn camera footage and other video from the area, Jacob said.
"Any incident resulting in the loss of life is significant," Jacob said. "We recognize the impact this has on the deceased's family and those who knew him, our community and the personnel who responded."
Jacob called the shooting a reminder of the unpredictability officers face on the job and said department personnel have his full support. He cautioned that the information released so far is preliminary and could change as investigators gather more evidence.
Second shooting near Pier ramp
The following night, officers responded to a report of a shooting near the Pier ramp at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
A preliminary investigation found that a group of individuals approached the victim and an altercation ensued during an attempted robbery, police said. One of the individuals fired a weapon during the altercation, striking the victim in the leg.
Officers provided emergency medical aid at the scene before the victim was taken to a local hospital. The injuries are not life-threatening, police said.
The suspects fled before officers arrived but a juvenile suspect was taken into custody later that evening in connection with the incident. Investigators are working to determine the juvenile’s role in the attempted robbery and shooting. Detectives continue working to identify and locate the remaining individuals involved.
Rising arrests amid realignment push
The two shootings come as Santa Monica has reported a sharp rise in arrests this year under the city's Realignment Plan, a public safety-focused framework the City Council adopted unanimously on Oct. 28, 2025.
The plan committed $60 million in one-time reserves over 24 months to bolster policing, including doubling the department's downtown unit, adding non-sworn public safety officers in parks and downtown corridors, opening a new downtown substation, and launching a $6.125 million real-time crime hub known as the SMART Center.
City data show arrests have climbed significantly in 2026. As of the week ending Aug. 1, arrests were up 68.5% year-over-year, with 3,113 recorded so far this year compared with 1,847 over the same period in 2025. Calls for service also rose 7.7%, to 76,067, while officer-initiated activity was up 26.7%.
The department reached full sworn staffing of roughly 232 officers in early 2026 for the first time in more than two decades, following an increase in applications early in the year.
City officials have pointed to a 12.5% drop in Part I crime in 2025 — from 4,793 to 4,194 incidents — as evidence the strategy is working, alongside a rise in total arrests of 22.9% that year and a jump in traffic citations of 102%.
Homelessness has remained a significant driver of enforcement activity under the plan. Arrests involving people experiencing homelessness rose 52% in 2025, to 2,465, and made up roughly 70% of arrests during at least one week in July, according to city data. The Realignment Plan also called for expanding diversion programs, including the SaMo Bridge respite center, as an alternative to jail for minor offenses.