Crime Watch is culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
On October 26 at about 12:50 p.m.
SMPD Officers were dispatched to what originally was reported as an armed robbery at 332 Santa Monica Blvd. SMPD officers arrived in less than 2 minutes. Witnesses told police a man armed with a sharp object, went into the store acting hystericaly and asking for help. The man ran out before police arrived. SMPD personnel observed the described man go into the T Mobile store in the 1400 block of 3rd Street Promenade. When they attempted to make contact with him, he pulled out two knives. Officers were able to safely evacuate all the store’s employees and customers. Members of the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) responded and talked to the man as he barricaded himself in the back of the store. At approximately 1:20 p.m. officers were able to negotiate with him to safely surrender the knives and turn himself in. The man was transported to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.
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