It happened around 5:21 p.m. outside the Santa Monica Police Station.
During an evening news conference, Santa Monica PD Chief Ramon Batista said the officer was in front of the station, gathering information from a resident about an ongoing case.
He said at that moment, the suspect, described only as a man in his 30s, suddenly interrupted the conversation.
"It was in that moment that the man unexpectedly, and without warning, attacked the officer," said Batista. "[He] pulled a large knife from his clothing and attacked and stabbed
the officer."
He said the officer then drew his weapon and went around the corner of the building. That's when the suspect followed him and "continued the attack."
"It was in that area, the side of the building, that an officer-involved shooting occurred," said Batista.
The suspect died at the scene, according to the police chief.
The officer was stabbed multiple times throughout the attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Though Batista described the officer's injuries as "very serious," he's in stable condition and is expected to survive.
"I can't tell you enough how disappointed I am to see that this attack, unprovoked, occurred on our streets," said Batista.
The area near the station remained closed for much of the evening.
The officer wasn't identified but Batista said he's in his 30s and has been with the department for less than 10 years.
"In Santa Monica, we pride ourselves in trying to keep our city safe," said Batista. "Unfortunately, we've had a very serious series of events that have occurred in our city since this summer. Nonetheless, our officers are going to continue the work of going out there, providing public safety to our residents, every single day."
The Santa Monica Police Department is conducting an internal investigation to ensure that policy and procedures were followed during the officer-involved shooting. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will also be investigating this incident.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Santa Monica PD Watch Commander desk at 310-458-8427.