The suspect is being held at Santa Monica Jail with bail set at $1,000,000
Authorities have identified the suspect arrested in Wednesday’s ambush of a Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officer as David John Hairston II, a 31-year-old man believed to be homeless.
The arrest followed a tense manhunt linked to a June 22 shooting that injured two juveniles in an autonomous rideshare vehicle near 2nd Street and Broadway, police said Thursday.
Hairston was taken into custody at approximately 4:20 p.m. on June 25 near Palisades Park after a community member’s tip led officers to his location, according to an SMPD press release. The firearm used in the assault on the officer was recovered during the arrest.
Hairston is being held at Santa Monica Jail with bail set at $1,000,000. His first court appearance is scheduled for June 27.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with anticipated charges including attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of attempted murder related to the June 22 incident, and firearms violations.
The officer, shot during a foot pursuit near 2nd Street and Colorado Avenue around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, remains in stable condition at a local hospital. SMPD expressed gratitude to hospital staff for their care. The pursuit began when the officer recognized Hairston from a departmental bulletin issued June 23, based on surveillance footage and witness statements from the earlier shooting.
The June 22 incident occurred at 11:38 p.m. when Hairston allegedly approached an autonomous rideshare vehicle, fired multiple rounds after a verbal altercation, and fled. The two juvenile victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at a local hospital.
