Bodycam footage shows knife-wielding man stabbing officer outside Santa Monica police station

A knife-wielding man stabbed a police officer outside a Los Angeles police station, leading the man to fatally shoot his attacker in a terrifying scene captured by the officer’s body camera.

The suspect, identified as Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, 28, came to the front doors of Santa Monica police headquarters and rang the call button as a police officer walked toward the outside to speak to another person, Fox News reported.

There were two other people outside the station, prompting the officer to tell Halaibeh he had to wait his turn before he could speak.

Footage from the officer’s body camera showed the suspect with his right hand suspiciously inside his jacket, alarming the officer.

“What’s in your jacket?” said the cop. “I’m a little nervous with your hand in your jacket like that.”

“Are you nervous? Halaibeh responded before suddenly lunging at the officer with an eight-inch chef’s knife.

Halaibeh stabbed and punched the officer several times before the officer was able to run away and draw his weapon as the suspect pursued him.

The struggle continued before several shots were fired, with the officer able to separate himself from Halaibeh and shoot him while the suspect had the knife in his hand.

Halaibeh, a New York resident who had no criminal history in California or prior contact with Santa Monica police, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been released.

The suspect stole the knife he used at a Target store minutes before the attack, attacking an employee in the process, Fox reported.