The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) through Santa Monica was closed Monday afternoon as police negotiated with an apparently armed man on the bluffs.
The Santa Monica police Department (SMPD) announced activity at about 12:06pm with all south bound traffic stopped at the 400 block of PCH and northbound traffic stopped at the 1200 block.
Social media posts reported a potential assault on the beach with the suspect fleeing into the cliff area. Officers confirmed they were dealing with a suspect who was armed with an unspecified weapon.
Hundreds of cars were seen backed up along the PCH as officers were negotiating with the suspect via loudspeaker. After a stand-off lasting over an hour, at least one round of a non-lethal bean bag projectile was fired from an officer positioned atop the ladder of a Fire Department truck, while two K9 officers flanked the suspect from both sides in a pincer movement.
At this point, the suspect, who could be heard from the roadside where many bystanders were looking on, transformed from being passive — albeit uncooperative — to aggressive and really uncooperative. Officers who had remained on the roadside then climbed up onto the lower part of the bluff to assist in bringing the suspect down as safely as possible. He was laid out on the ground, secured and strapped onto a gurney and wheeled into a waiting paramedic unit.
Approximately 15 minutes later the PCH was reopened and traffic — that had backed up on both sides of the PCH, together with Maberry Road, Entrada Drive and West Channel Road, not to mention Ocean Ave — could once again resume moving.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
