LOS ANGELES, CA – Authorities have identified Robert Knight, 89, as the victim killed in a violent incident that unfolded Saturday afternoon in Jefferson Park, leading to a prolonged police standoff with an armed suspect.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officers responded around 1:10 p.m. to reports of an attack in the 2300 block of West 23rd Street, near Cimarron Street and Gramercy Place. Upon arrival, officers found Knight lying on the ground in front of a residence, suffering from what authorities have described as fatal injuries inflicted by the suspect.
The suspect, later identified as Andrew Smith, 40, allegedly opened fire on officers as they approached the scene. At least one officer returned fire, though Smith was not struck. Police said Smith then barricaded himself inside the home, prompting a lockdown of the surrounding area and the deployment of a SWAT team.
In a statement, LAPD confirmed that SWAT officers, supported by the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Support unit, conducted a dangerous rescue operation to retrieve Knight from the front of the house. Tragically, despite the swift response, Knight was pronounced dead at the scene.
As the standoff continued, Smith reportedly refused to surrender. After several hours of negotiations failed, SWAT personnel entered the home around 9:15 p.m., where they discovered Smith in a second-floor bedroom suffering from multiple self-inflicted stab wounds. He was taken into custody without further gunfire and transported to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition, police said.
Investigators recovered a 9mm assault rifle-style semi-automatic pistol, three high-capacity magazines, and multiple knives from the residence, evidence of what LAPD described as a “heavily armed and dangerous individual.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner officially identified Robert Knight as the victim on Tuesday, though the exact cause of his death has not yet been released.
The incident has left the Jefferson Park community shaken. Neighbors described Knight as a kind, soft-spoken man who had lived in the area for decades. “He was the type of neighbor who always waved, always had time to talk. This is just heartbreaking,” one resident said.
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division and Robbery-Homicide Division are leading the investigation into both the fatal attack on Knight and the subsequent officer-involved shooting and standoff.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Robert Knight as they mourn this senseless loss.
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