Authorities Have Identified the Suspect in a Fatal Attack on a Santa Monica Police Officer That Occurred Outside the Department’s Headquarters
Authorities have identified the suspect in a fatal attack on a Santa Monica police officer that occurred outside the department’s headquarters Saturday evening. The suspect, Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, 28, of New York State, was killed at the scene after stabbing an officer multiple times.
The incident took place at approximately 5:21 p.m. on October 5, 2024, when Halaibeh, armed with an 8-inch chef’s knife, attacked the officer in front of the police station. The officer, whose name has not been released, shot Halaibeh in self-defense, according to a statement from the Santa Monica Police Department. Halaibeh was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prior to the attack, Halaibeh was suspected of committing a robbery at a nearby Target store located at 420 Broadway. Store security reported that, around 5:16 p.m., a man had pushed an employee to the ground and stolen a box of kitchen knives. The suspect fled the store, but the box was later found with one knife missing — the same knife believed to have been used in the attack on the officer.
Halaibeh had no known criminal history in California and no previous contacts with the Santa Monica Police Department. His housing status at the time of the incident remains unclear.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Halaibeh or the incident to contact Detective Peter Zamfirov at peter.zamfirov@santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Alfonso Lozano at alfonso.lozano@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427, available 24 hours a day.
Further updates will be provided as the investigation develops.
