A 44-year-old Torrance man is facing life in state prison in connection with the stabbing of a Long Beach police officer earlier this month.
The April 17 incident occurred at the Billie Jean King Public Library near Pacific Avenue and First Street in Long Beach just before 2:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers responded to reports of a man possibly armed with a weapon, located a suspect matching the description provided by the caller and attempted to de-escalate the situation, police said. During a use-of-force encounter, the suspect, now identified as Arturo Scott Fernandez, allegedly produced a folding knife and stabbed an officer multiple times in the head and torso.
Two uniformed federal air marshals with the Department of Homeland Security, who were working a nearby security assignment, witnessed the attack and rushed to assist officers in taking the suspect into custody.
A Torrance man is facing life in prison for allegedly stabbing a Long Beach police officer multiple times near Pacific Avenue and 1st Street on April 17, 2026. (Google Maps)
The injured officer was transported to a hospital and has since been released, authorities confirmed.
“This officer put himself in harm’s way in the defense of others and sustained serious injuries in doing so,” Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement. He added that he was grateful the officer is expected to recover and commended both responding officers and the federal air marshals for helping safely take the suspect into custody.
Knife recovered at the scene of an attempted murder investigation in Long Beach on April 17, 2026. (Long Beach Police Department)
Fernandez, who remains in custody on more than $2.2 million bail, has since been charged with a felony count of attempted murder of a peace officer. Prosecutors allege he committed the crime willfully, deliberately and with premeditation, inflicted great bodily injury and used a deadly weapon, a knife, during the attack.
Burbank home invasion murder not a random attack, investigators say
If convicted as charged, Fernandez faces 100 years to life in state prison.
“This incident underscores the risks law enforcement officers face every single day in service to our communities,” L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “The offender’s actions were violent and deliberate, and our Crimes Against Peace Officers Division will ensure that this defendant answers for the harm and violence his actions caused.”
KTLA Digital Reporter Lily Dallow contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.