A Santa Maria police officer who was fatally shot early Saturday by another officer after he reportedly resisted arrest was identified Sunday by a family member as Albert Covarrubias Jr.
The shooting occurred about 1:20 a.m. when two supervising officers attempted to arrest Covarrubias, who was on duty, for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
Covarrubias, a four-year member of the Santa Maria Police Department, was breaking down a DUI checkpoint at McElhaney Avenue and Broadway when the officers attempted to arrest him.
He allegedly resisted arrest and fired his handgun, prompting another officer to return fire.
“The information that we had in hand demanded that we not let him leave that scene, get in a car, drive somewhere. It would put the public at risk if he did,” Santa Maria Police Chief Danny Macagni said at a news conference Saturday. “We just did not know what was going to happen. And we did not expect him to react the way he did.”
“Information unfolded during the time that the officer was on duty and unfolded very rapidly. It was very explicit, very specific, that indicated that the officer was involved in not only an inappropriate sexual relationship, but a very explicit one, and it demanded immediate action,” Macagni said.
By 1 a.m. Saturday, detectives had enough information to arrest Covarrubias, who would have been booked on multiple felony counts.
A fight ensued, and Covarrubias was fatally shot by an officer who had also been at the checkpoint.
Santa Maria Police Lt. James Ginter would not confirm the identify of the officer who fired the fatal shot, but he has been identified by local media as Officer Matthew Kline.
Macagni said the officer, as is routine in police-involved shootings, had been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and external investigations.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the shooting.
The Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.
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