Police said the victim suffered a grave arm injury during a dispute outside a Rose Avenue housing site.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles police arrested a 29-year-old man Saturday after they said he attacked another man with a sword-type knife outside a Venice housing building, leaving the victim hospitalized with a severe arm injury.
The arrest ended a two-day search that began after the Thursday evening attack near the 700 block of Rose Avenue. Police identified the suspect as Justin Tucker and said he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder. The case drew concern in Venice because the attack happened outside Venice Community Housing, a supportive and transitional housing property where police said Tucker lived.
The attack was reported about 6:40 p.m. Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers arrived to find a 27-year-old man with a badly injured arm after what investigators described as a dispute between two men. Police said the weapon was a 16-inch sword-type knife. LAPD Capt. Brian Churchill said officers applied a tourniquet at the scene before the victim was taken to a hospital. “If it weren’t for their quick action, he would have bled out,” Churchill said. The victim’s name was not released, and police did not provide a detailed update on his condition.
Investigators said the confrontation happened outside Venice Community Housing at 720 Rose Avenue. Churchill said the first report indicated the men argued over property they both claimed. Witnesses told local reporters that the men were arguing on the sidewalk before the suspect went into the building and returned with the blade. Police said the suspect fled before officers arrived. The victim was described by police as someone who did not live in the building. Officials said it remained unclear Saturday whether the two men knew each other or how the dispute began.
Police said Tucker was taken into custody about 4 p.m. Saturday near Venice Beach. Before the arrest, residents in the area received a flyer warning that Tucker was considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. LAPD officials said they later obtained a warrant and recovered the weapon from inside the building. Churchill said Tucker was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but officials had not announced formal charges by Saturday evening. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office would decide what charges, if any, to file after reviewing the police case.
Venice Community Housing co-director Erika Lee said the nonprofit was “very disturbed” by the attack. She said the organization was focused on residents and staff after the violence outside the building. “It was a serious, violent incident in front of the building,” Lee said. She said people at the site reported that the two men appeared to know each other, though she said she did not witness the attack. Lee said staff members came in Saturday to meet with residents and address concerns after the arrest.
The building is part of a nonprofit housing network that serves low-income residents and people who need supportive services. Venice Community Housing has operated in a neighborhood where housing, homelessness, public safety and city enforcement have long been points of tension. Councilmember Traci Park’s office said it was aware of the incident. The office also said it had received pushback from Venice Community Housing in past efforts involving encampment cleanups and problems linked to buildings in the area. The nonprofit said its first priority was resident safety.
A woman who lives in the building told a local television station that Tucker had seemed quiet and kept to himself, but she said the attack left her feeling unsafe. The sidewalk and a concrete barrier outside the site were marked by blood after the assault, and the scene drew attention from residents and passersby in one of Los Angeles’ busiest coastal neighborhoods. Police did not release body camera video or a full incident report by Saturday night.
Tucker remained in custody Saturday as detectives continued to investigate the attack, the dispute that preceded it and the recovery of the weapon. The next major step is a charging review by prosecutors, which could determine whether the attempted murder allegation moves forward in court.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.