On Friday, Feb. 10, at 7:33 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department went to the 2100 block of Main Street in order to investigate a battery report. As they were on their way to the scene the officers were informed by dispatch that the suspect had fled the scene, but was being chased on foot by the victim. They were also told that the victim was an off-duty SMPD officer.
The suspect’s last sighting had been reported as being the property of the Sea Colony located at 2800 Nielson Way. When the officers arrived at the scene, they spoke with the victim who told them that he thought that the suspect might have continued south from the property and so the officers went in search and found the guy at the corner of Navy and Speedway in Venice.
The victim told the officers that he and his family had been dining at a restaurant on Main Street when he had been approached from behind by the suspect who had then proceeded to strike the victim on the back of the head for no reason at all. The victim had then identified himself as an off duty police officer at which point the suspect had run off on foot.
At that time the victim had given chase while simultaneously calling the police. The victim had not been injured by the assault and the officers subsequently arrested and charged this 28-year-old resident of Northridge with battery on a person and obstructing a police officer. His bail was set at $20,000.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.
