Man charged with attempted murder in stabbing of Long Beach police officer

A man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of a Long Beach police officer last week, prosecutors said Thursday.

Arturo Scott Fernandez, 44, of Torrance, was arrested last Friday following the incident, which was captured on surveillance footage and police body-worn cameras, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Long Beach police officers responded to a call at the Billie Jean King Public Library near Pacific Avenue and First Street around 2:20 p.m. There, the officers made contact with Fernandez, who refused to comply, prompting officers to try to detain him, officials said. That’s when Fernandez allegedly grabbed one of the officers and stabbed him in the head and torso with a folding knife.

Police say a man stabbed a Long Beach officer, leading to his arrest. This video was broadcast on Today in LA on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

As the officers continued trying to detain the man, two nearby federal air marshals with the Department of Homeland Security intervened and helped officers take Fernandez into custody, the Long Beach Police Department said. Police said the knife was recovered at the scene.

The stabbed officer was taken to the hospital and has since been released, officials said.

Fernandez faces one felony count of attempted murder of a peace officer, two felony counts of assault upon a peace officer and two felony counts of resisting an executive officer, according to prosecutors.

They allege Fernandez committed the stabbing “willfully, deliberately and with premeditation,” adding that he personally inflicted great bodily injury and used a knife.

Fernandez, who was still in custody as of Thursday afternoon, is expected to be arraigned at the Long Beach Courthouse on May 5. His bail was set at $2.295 million.

If convicted, Fernandez faces a maximum sentence of 100 years to life in state prison.

The Long Beach Police Department is still investigating the case.