Santa Monica police have released bodycam footage of an Aug. 22 shooting in which an officer fatally shot a knife-wielding man who charged him in a crowded oceanfront park, according to a critical incident briefing from the department.
The man killed was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner as 44-year-old Michael Rodriguez. The medical examiner ruled his death, from a gunshot wound to the chest, a homicide. The case remains open.
The confrontation grew out of an unrelated call. Two uniformed officers had responded around 12:30 p.m. to Broadway and Ocean Avenue after reports of a man chasing a woman, and were speaking with witnesses in the 1400 block of Palisades Park when they spotted Rodriguez, who police say had no connection to the original report.
Rodriguez was holding a large knife above his head and moving toward an officer and nearby bystanders in the park, which was crowded with pedestrians, visitors and vendors that Saturday afternoon, police said.
Bodycam audio captures an officer repeatedly shouting warnings as he draws his weapon and retreats.
“Hey, put that down.” “Put it down. Put that down.”
According to police, Rodriguez ignored the commands, continued advancing with the knife raised, and then quickened his pace as the officer backed away. The officer fired a single round, striking Rodriguez in the chest. Video from a second officer shows Rodriguez collapsing as the knife falls from his hand.
Officers immediately called for backup and medical assistance. “Officer needs help,” one can be heard saying before asking witnesses to stay at the scene.
When officers checked Rodriguez for additional weapons, they found a second knife in his right pants pocket and the handle of a third knife protruding from his backpack. Investigators described the knife used in the confrontation as a large, fixed-blade “fighting and utility style” weapon with a clip-point blade, a protective hand guard, a metal grip and serrations along part of its spine.
Officers began treating Rodriguez at the scene, applying gauze and a chest seal and performing chest compressions. “Come on, you need to breathe,” an officer is heard saying during the effort. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel later took over care and transported Rodriguez to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at approximately 1:49 p.m.
No officers, bystanders or other members of the public were injured in the incident.
Chief calls release an accountability step
Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob addressed the shooting in a statement accompanying the video’s release.
“Any loss of life is tragic, and we recognize the impact on the family, our officers and our community,” Jacob said. “Our officers face difficult and dangerous situations every day. 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.”
The department said its detectives are conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will independently review whether the officer’s use of deadly force was justified, and the department is also conducting an internal administrative review.
Authorities cautioned that the bodycam video and the accompanying briefing reflect preliminary evidence only and do not represent final findings or conclusions.
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