Santa Monica shooting of armed man was ‘suicide by cop,’ authorities say

A man wanted in connection with a stabbing last week who was shot by California Highway Patrol officers in Santa Monica asked officers whether that was “all they had” before throwing a knife at them and prompting a second, deadly round of fire, according to law enforcement.

Gerardo Vasquez, 52, was wanted by the Simi Valley Police Department in connection with the stabbing of his roommate on Friday, according to Deputy Lisa Jansen, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities had considered Vasquez armed and dangerous when CHP officers encountered him walking on the 10 Freeway on Monday.

Vasquez probably intended to commit “suicide by cop,” Jansen said in a department statement.

When CHP officers found Vasquez about 12:20 a.m., he was armed with a knife and walking along the center median of the 10 Freeway near the Centinela Avenue offramp, authorities said.

He then ran off the freeway and into the 3300 block of Pico Boulevard. Vasquez was still holding the large knife when officers opened fire on him, authorities said.

After the shooting, Vasquez fell onto his side and yelled expletives at officers, Jansen said. He then asked “if that is all they had,” she said.

Vasquez raised the knife over his shoulder and was throwing it when officers shot at him again, Jansen said.

According to the deputy, the knife landed near the officers.

At some point during the incident, an officer also fired a bean bag round at Vasquez, she said.

A knife was recovered at the scene.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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