Shooting suspect identified in officer 'ambush' at upscale Santa Monica mall
A gunman who shot a Santa Monica Police officer in an "ambush" style attack on Wednesday, injuring the officer, is in custody and being held on $1 million bail, police booking records show.
David John Hairston was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, being a felon with a firearm, and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and possession of a controlled substance while armed. The 31-year-old suspect listed his employment as a busing tables and gave no address.
On Wednesday afternoon, chaos unfolded at Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade after reports of a shooting triggered businesses in the area to shut down and police to warn people in the upscale tourist hot spot to avoid the area.
The incident began about 1 p.m. when an officer attempted to detain an individual at Santa Monica Place who was a suspect in a shooting on Sunday that injured two juveniles in a Waymo self-driving taxi, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
"During the brief pursuit, the suspect ambushed the officer and fired multiple rounds, striking him before fleeing" the Third Street Promenade area on foot, police said.
The search for the gunman lasted hours and many businesses in the area closed or went into lockdown, such as the Clayton Children's Museum inside the mall.
The museum released a statement saying that 112 guests inside sheltered in place and were guided to offices near the back.
“I am incredibly proud of our staff for acting swiftly and calmly under intense circumstances," said the museum's chief executive, Thomas Sullivan, in a statement.
Hairston was arrested in Palisades Park at 4:20 p.m. following a tip from a local resident who saw photos of the individual released by police, authorities said. The firearm believed to have been used in the assault was recovered.
The injured officer was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to make a full recovery, police said. City Councilmember Lana Negrete told KTLA News that the officer was struck in the hand.
"This marks the second time in eight months that a Santa Monica officer has been seriously injured in the line of duty — first by stabbing, now by gunfire," the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement. "The officer injured in the earlier stabbing continues to recover. These incidents underscore the risks faced by officers in the line of duty and the continued need for collective commitment to public safety and community partnership."
Videos from the area showed an escalated police presence while the search for the gunman was underway, causing local businesses to temporarily go on lockdown. SWAT team members were dispatched to help in the search, which appeared to cover a large swath of the downtown and beachside districts, including Palisades Park.
L.A. Metro announced that the downtown Santa Monica train station was closed and that buses were being made available. Regular service resumed at 4:45 p.m.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.