Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob announced Tuesday, Aug. 25, that the department is deploying additional officers to the Pier, beach, Palisades Park and downtown after two shootings in roughly 31 hours rattled one of the city's busiest corridors.

"Our responsibility is to protect everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Santa Monica," Jacob said. "That means being present, visible, and accessible."

The enhanced patrols, which began Tuesday, follow a fatal officer-involved shooting Saturday, Aug. 22, in Palisades Park and a robbery-related shooting Sunday, Aug. 23, near the Pier ramp. As we reported Aug. 25, no officers or bystanders were injured in either incident, though one victim was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.

What happened

On Saturday, Aug. 22, at approximately 12:49 p.m., officers responded to a domestic violence call in the 1400 block of Palisades Park. An unrelated man charged at officers with a knife, according to ABC7. Jacob said the man ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon. An officer fired, and the man was pronounced dead at a hospital at approximately 1:49 p.m. A knife was recovered at the scene.

The incident unfolded in front of hundreds of families and tourists near the Pier, ABC7 reported.

The following evening, at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, a man in his 20s was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery near the Pier ramp, according to Patch. A juvenile suspect was arrested later that night. Detectives are pursuing the remaining suspects, and the city said additional arrests are anticipated.

City response

"The events of this past weekend were unacceptable, and our community deserves to see how seriously we take our public safety responsibilities," City Manager Oliver Chi said.

The city also plans direct outreach to businesses near downtown and the Pier in the coming days to hear concerns and share safety resources.

Two Coffee with a Cop events are scheduled: noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, and noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at the SMPD Downtown Substation, 395 Santa Monica Place.

The city said major crime in Santa Monica fell 12.5% in 2025 compared with the prior year. SMPD has reached full sworn staffing for the first time in more than 20 years, according to the city's press release.

Body-worn camera footage from the Palisades Park officer-involved shooting will be released within the next few weeks, the city said.