A Torrance man faces an attempted murder charge after authorities say he stabbed a Long Beach police officer several times during a confrontation Friday in downtown Long Beach.
Officers were dispatched about 2:42 p.m. to the 200 block of West Broadway on an unknown trouble call. While en route, the responding officers learned a person at the scene might be armed, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Officers arrived and encountered a man matching the description provided by the caller and attempted to deescalate the situation, police said. At some point during the encounter, police said the man produced a knife and stabbed an officer multiple times.
The officer was taken to a hospital and later released.
Four federal air marshals with the Department of Homeland Security, who were working a security assignment nearby, witnessed the confrontation and rushed in to assist, according to police. With their help, officers said they took the suspect into custody at the scene.
Investigators later determined that several people had been involved in a fight before officers arrived, and that one of those individuals — the suspect — was armed with a knife, police said.
The man was identified as Arturo Fernandez, 44, of Torrance. After being medically cleared at a hospital, he was booked into the Long Beach City Jail on suspicion of attempted murder. Bail was set at $1 million.
Officers said they recovered a knife at the scene, according to police.
In a statement, Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said the attack served as “a stark reminder of not just the dangers faced by our police officers, but also their continued dedication to protecting our community each day,” adding he was grateful to the federal air marshals who assisted in the arrest.
Homicide detectives were assigned to investigate the incident, which will be presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office next week.
