The man suspected of shooting a Santa Monica police officer days after allegedly firing on a Waymo driverless taxi and injuring two teens has been identified by authorities.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the suspected gunman is David John Hairston II, a 31-year-old transient in the area.
Hairston was taken into custody around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday at Palisades Park in Santa Monica after a citywide law enforcement search.
Hairston is accused of “ambushing” a Santa Monica police officer near the Santa Monica Place outdoor shopping center. The officer, police said, was chasing after him to bring him into custody for the shooting that took place days earlier involving the two teens riding in an autonomous taxi.
The officer was hit in the hand and hospitalized, and his injuries were described as serious, but not life-threatening.
The shooting led to a widespread search of the city before Hairston was ultimately located with the help of a civilian tipster.
Police say Hairston became the subject of their investigation related to the Waymo shooting, which took place on June 23, after reviewing security footage and interviewing multiple witnesses.
At the time of that shooting, police said a suspect approached a Waymo car and fired indiscriminately at the vehicle and its occupants after a verbal dispute.
The teens were injured and hospitalized but were eventually released.
After his arrest, Hairston was booked into the Santa Monica Jail where he remains in custody on $1 million bail.
He is due in court Friday, at which point he is expected to be charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of attempted murder for the Waymo shooting, as well as various illegal gun crimes.
The Santa Monica Police Department thanked the nearby law enforcement agencies that assisted in the search for Hairston, as well as the dispatchers who fielded emergency calls during the tense operation.
The injured officer remains in stable condition, officials said.
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