Detectives are looking into whether a violent attack caught on camera between a man and a Santa Monica police officer was pre-meditated. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016.
A violent fight between a police officer and a man at a convenience store was caught on camera. Now, detectives are looking into whether the officer may have been targeted.
The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating the Oct. 28 incident as an unprovoked and possibly pre-meditated attack.
Surveillance cameras at the 7-11 store on Santa Monica Boulevard show the police officer walking toward the coolers in the back.
Almost simultaneously, you see a man in the center aisle headed in the same direction.
Police said the man then intentionally bumped into the officer in what they believe was an unprovoked attack.
Words are exchanged between the two men and then a violent struggle ensues in the store.
Footage shows the man and the officer wrestle from the back of the store to the front, knocking over shelves, as stunned customers watch.
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At one point, the attacker gouged the officer’s eyes, according to police.
The officer can be seen pulling out his gun, but he does not use it.
Seconds later, a second officer rushes in and takes the man into custody.
Darryl McIntosh was arrested on charges of mayhem and battery on a peace officer.
The police officer is a 15-year veteran with the Santa Monica Police Department and is now recovering.
