Memorial, procession honor life of slain SLO detective: ‘Luca is not just a tragic story’
For more than a week, the community has mourned slain San Luis Obispo police Det. Luca Benedetti.
Benedetti, a 37-year-old husband and father of two, was fatally shot May 10 while serving a search warrant in a San Luis Obispo neighborhood.
On Thursday, Benedetti’s family, friends and co-workers gathered together with other community members to remember the man one person described simply as “the best.”
More than 2,000 people attended a memorial service for Benedetti at the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo on Thursday morning, the city said. The service was followed by a funeral procession through San Luis Obispo County that featured the participation of hundreds of first responders.
“You need to know Luca is not just a tragic story,” San Luis Obispo Police Sgt. Caleb Kemp said the service. “(He was) not just an incredible officer — but he was an incredible man.”
‘We love our PD’ sign, flags displayed ahead of detective’s memorial
On Thursday morning, people waving Blue Lives Matter flags could be seen on the sidewalks leading up to the Grand Avenue entrance to the Cal Poly campus.
Teach Elementary School, which borders that entrance, had a large “We love our PD” displayed out front.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the memorial service included police departments from Bakersfield, Fresno, Newport Beach and Porterville as well as the Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara county sheriff’s offices.
Hundreds of people attended the memorial service, packing overflow rooms through the theater.
At the front were Benedetti’s wife, Grace, and two young daughters.
The ceremony began with a recitation of Psalm 23 and a prayer by Atascadero Police Department chaplain Rick Comstock.
Family friend Matt Cross then performed “Everything” by Michael Bublé, a song that he previously played at Benedetti’s wedding.
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Slain officer died ‘doing what he believed in,’ police chief says
Newly sworn-in San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott was the first to speak at the service about Benedetti, calling him “an amazing example of the best we have to offer.”
“He was courageous. He was compassionate. He was friendly, honorable. He was kind. He was the one you wanted to cover your six, or just over at your family barbecue,” Scott said. “You see, I didn’t know Luca, but I wish I had.”
Scott said he believed that Benedetti died doing “what he believed in.”
Benedetti was fatally shot while entering the Camellia Court apartment of Edward Giron, 37, with five other San Luis Obispo police officers.
Giron, who was suspected of a string of commercial robberies throughout the city, opened fire upon the officers serving the warrant, killing Benedetti and injuring another officer, police Det. Steve Orozco.
“Luca was first in the stack that night, not because he had to, but because he wanted to,” Scott said during Thursday’s service. “That’s the kind of officer he was.”
Scott briefly addressed Orozco, who is recovering from multiple gunshots at home.
“Steve, I want you to know how proud I am of you,” Scott said. “I have no doubt that you saved lives that day. And I know that Luca is proud that you stayed in the fight.”
Scott also had a few words for the officers in his department who are struggling with the death of their comrade.
“Protecting our communities is a dangerous, dangerous job,” he said. “Use this pain to remember how you feel today, so you can protect yourself tomorrow. Use this pain so this tragedy be not in vain. Nor shall it ever be repeated.”
At the end of his comments, Scott presented Benedetti’s badge to his widow, Grace Benedetti, saying she and her two children would always be a part of the San Luis Obispo Police Department family.
“We’ve wrapped our arms around you — you and your family — and will forever hold tight,” he said. “Just as Luca would have.”
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, a GoFundMe fundraiser for Luca Benedetti’s family had raised more than $590,000 toward its $600,000 goal, while a GoFundMe campaign for Orozco and his family had raised more than $37,000 toward its $50,000 goal.
Luca Benedetti remembered as caring father, friend
Comstock, a retired pastor, delivered one of several eulogies on Thursday. Comstock was also the officiant at the Benedettis’ wedding.
He said he wished to talk about who Benedetti was as a person, not just a police officer.
He was a man who loved cooking and being a dad, Comstock said. He was proud of his Italian heritage. He built his own wood-fired pizza oven, and terraced and planted his entire backyard.
“Luca loved craft beer and good cigars,” Comstock said. “He listened to reggae music, watched ‘The Late Show,’ ‘Impractical Jokers’ and any program featuring Alton Brown, author and celebrity chef. His favorite movie was ‘Die Hard’; his favorite actor, Dwayne Johnson, the Rock; his favorite color, gray — tactical gray.”
But most of all, Benedetti loved his family and friends.
“His favorite activity was doing anything and everything with family and friends,” Comstock said. “He was described by those who knew him best as genuine, hard working, kind, talented, intelligent ... an encourager who paid attention to other people, who knew how to make everyone he met feel special.”
Police partner delivers emotional eulogy: ‘We will heal’
The word most often used to describe Benedetti throughout the service was “best.”
Even Kemp, his partner on the San Luis Obispo police force, described Benedetti as a sort of superstar.
“There was a calmness, a smoothness, a soundness to everything he did,” Kemp said of Benedetti. “When Michael Jordan walked into the room, he didn’t have to tell everyone he was the best. His actions on the court did this for him. This was Luca. But then predictably, he would then splash that typical Luca smile toward the team after shooting yet another perfect score.”
Kemp, whose voice at times broke from emotion during his speech, also noted that the police vehicle that has been displayed on the side of the San Luis Obispo Police Department office in the past week was “Luca’s car.”
Kemp said Benedetti was the “driving force” behind the department getting a vehicle specifically intended for enforcement of drunk driving laws, something Benedetti was incredibly passionate about.
That vehicle has been bedecked in flowers, cards and gifts following his death.
“Det. Luca Benedetti died with a warrior’s heart, serving his community and doing what he loved,” Kemp said. “I want to thank the Benedetti family for sharing him with the rest of the world, and thank Luca for sharing himself with all of us.”
“We will heal,” he added. “We will never forget, but we will heal.”
First responders participate in funeral procession through SLO County
The memorial service concluded with an end-of-watch announcement for Benedetti. Sobs could be heard throughout the Performing Arts Center as a voice crackled over the static of a police dispatch radio.
“Det. Luca Benedetti’s call time will not be on air again,” the voice said. “A proud officer, a good partner, a good man.”
“Det. Benedetti’s end of watch: May 10, 2021. Rest in peace, my friend. We have the watch.”
Soon afterward, the memorial service concluded and hundreds of first responders from across California gathered outside the Performing Arts Center to prepare for a funeral procession carrying Benedetti’s body to Paso Robles Cemetery.
More than 400 police and emergency response vehicles assembled near the Performing Arts Center, including an armored car, motorcycles, fire engines and police patrol cars.
Somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 first responders were expected to participate in the procession, though an exact number of participants had not yet been determined as of early Thursday afternoon.
It took more than a half hour for all of the assembled vehicles, moving one by one, to clear out of the Cal Poly campus area and make their way down Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo.
Meanwhile, about two dozen people have gathered at the corner of Monterey Street and Grand Avenue to watch the procession, waving American flags and holding signs.
Keith and Cheryl Smith of San Luis Obispo stood at the corner outside the Monday Club on Monterey Street to pay respect to Benedetti and Orozco.
“I think it’s been encouraging to see so much support for our police officers,” Keith Smith said.
After turning on Monterey Street, the procession made its slow way onto Highway 101 heading north, carrying Benedetti to his final resting place in Paso Robles.
As the procession went through Atascadero, numerous people could be seen standing on overpasses or at the side of the highway to pay their respects to the fallen officer.
Finally, just after 1 p.m., the procession reached the Paso Robles Cemetery, where Benedetti was expected to be laid to rest in a private graveside ceremony attended by family members and close friends.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 10:10 AM.
