Malibu Man Runs Over Officer's Foot Trying To Get Into Palisades Fire Area: PD

SANTA MONICA, CA — A 37-year-old Malibu man was arrested this week after running over an officer's foot while trying to access a fire evacuation area in Santa Monica without the proper authorization, police said Tuesday.

Police responded to the intersection of Ocean and California avenues around 6:45 a.m. Monday in response to reports of a hit-and-run incident involving a department employee, the Santa Monica Police Department said.

The investigation revealed that two National Guard vehicles were traveling north in the southbound lanes of Ocean Avenue heading toward California Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. A green Toyota Highlander began following one National Guard vehicle on the wrong side of the road as the driver attempted to gain access to an evacuation area — which authorities have repeatedly warned are off limits to unauthorized people, police said.

An officer then approached the SUV to signal to the driver that he needed to stop. The man, however, continued to travel through a barrier and drive over the officer's foot, police said.

"Officers monitoring the broadcast of the vehicle description utilized the department's network of Flock cameras to locate the vehicle in the 2200 block of Pico Boulevard," police said in a statement.

Police later stopped the vehicle in a traffic stop and determined that it was involved in the hit-and-run, police said.

Walter William Larkins, of Malibu, was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run resulting in injury to a person and several other vehicle violations, police said.

The officer who sustained soft tissue injuries was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.