Candlelight vigil honors Luca Benedetti as a ‘disciplined and determined’ officer
A well-attended candlelight vigil, preceded by a car cruise caravan, honored the life of fallen San Luis Obispo Police detective Luca Benedetti on Friday.
About 300 to 400 people gathered at Mission Plaza to join in prayer, light candles and listen to speakers recall memories of Benedetti and pay tribute the sacrifice of officers who put their lives on the line every day.
Many held American or “thin blue line” flags. Others carried signs with the message “Rest in Peace.”
Benedetti, 37, died Monday after a burglary suspect opened fire on officers serving a search warrant at his apartment on Camellia Court. Another SLOPD detective, Steve Orozco, was wounded but is expected to fully recover.
Dozens of cars lined Higuera Street in advance of Friday’s vigil, where speakers included District Attorney Dan Dow; Rick Comstock, chaplain with Atascadero Police Department; and new SLO Police Chief Rick Scott.
District attorney shares memories
Dow said Benedetti and Orozco represent the commitment of all SLO County law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to serve and protect.
“We ask our law enforcement officers to do so much, and often under very difficult circumstances,” Dow said. “Every day, those that put on the uniform and those that are undercover are willing to step into the face of danger so you and I don’t have to do that.”
Dow recalled attending ride-alongs with Benedetti around 2008 or 2009 when Dow served as a deputy district attorney and wanted to learn about the duties of patrol officers.
“He did everything in his duties in a calm, deliberate manner,” Dow said. “He was professional with every citizen he was in contact with. I could tell he was going to make an outstanding police officer.”
Benedetti worked for the Atascadero Police Department from 2008 to 2012 and then SLOPD from 2012 until his sudden death this week.
Dow said Benedetti was especially skilled at spotting drunken drivers and stopping them before they got into an accident, earning awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Dow read a Facebook post this week from a man, Noah Briley, who said Benedetti previously arrested him.
Briley said Benedetti treated him with “respect and humanity,” spending more than 18 hours with him at the hospital, talking about their respective children and IPAs, because he was too unhealthy to be booked into jail at the time.
The man later thanked Benedetti for helping to save his life, as he later got clean and sober after going through the criminal justice system and will soon graduate from drug treatment court, Dow said.
“These officers work very difficult hours, long shifts, in the middle of the night when you and I are resting,” Dow said. “... They are lifesavers.”
A dedicated police officer
Comstock said that he got to know Benedetti as the Atascadero police chaplain and also went on ride-alongs with “Luca on at least three occasions that I vividly remember,” including suicide and domestic violence calls.
“I remember on the domestic violence call, him taking me downstairs to calm and comfort the wife, while he went upstairs to corral and comfort the husband,” Comstock said. “I remember his demeanor and his temperament during those events and thinking that if I were ever in those situations, I hope that someone like him would show up to help me.”
Comstock described Benedetti as “driven, disciplined and determined,” yet personable in his relationships.
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Scott, whose first day in his new job was Thursday, said that he entered his position during a time of anguish that is balanced by the “love and outreach from the community.”
“I didn’t get a chance to meet Luca, or know him,” Scott said. “I’m doing that now through the stories of the incredible men and women who served alongside him at SLOPD and Atascadero. I can tell you, without a doubt, this was an incredible, incredible officer — one of the most respected, revered officers that I’ve known in my career, and I didn’t even get to meet him.”
Benedetti leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.
A public funeral service to honor Benedetti will be held May 20 at Cal Poly.
The service will be held at 10 a.m. at the Performing Arts Center, and attendees are asked to submit an RSVP in advance via Eventbrite. The service will be followed by a procession of first responders to a private graveside ceremony.
This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 10:29 PM.
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