Newly released bodycam footage from the Santa Monica Police Department captures the Aug. 22 fatal shooting of 44-year-old Michael Rodriguez in a crowded oceanfront park, where a single officer fired one round after Rodriguez charged through a crowd of pedestrians despite repeated verbal commands to stop. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified Rodriguez and ruled his death a homicide.
Officers initially responded to Broadway and Ocean Avenue at approximately 12:30 p.m. following a report of a man chasing a woman near the Broadway stairs. The two uniformed officers moved to the 1400 block of Palisades Park to speak with witnesses. Rodriguez had no connection to that original call.
When officers spotted him, Rodriguez was holding a large knife above his head and moving toward an officer and nearby bystanders. The department's critical incident briefing describes the weapon as a large, fixed-blade "fighting and utility style" knife with a clip-point blade, a protective hand guard, a metal grip, and serrations along part of its spine.
Bodycam audio captures the officer repeatedly shouting "Hey, put that down" while drawing his firearm and backing away through the crowded park. Rodriguez ignored the commands, quickened his pace, and closed the distance. One round struck him in the chest. Footage from the second officer shows Rodriguez falling as the knife drops from his hand.
Officers called for backup and immediately began treating Rodriguez, applying gauze and a chest seal to his wound before performing chest compressions. Santa Monica Fire Department personnel took over care and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at approximately 1:49 p.m. A subsequent search found two additional knives on Rodriguez: one in his right pants pocket, and a third with its handle visible in his backpack. No officers or members of the public were injured.
Three parallel reviews are now underway. Santa Monica Police Department detectives are conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will separately review the officer's use of deadly force, while the department conducts its own internal administrative investigation. Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said releasing the footage was intended to give the community a clear and open account of the encounter. The department noted the video and accompanying briefing reflect preliminary evidence and do not represent final findings. The case remains open, according to agency records.