Pismo Beach ceremony honors Luca Benedetti and other officers killed in the line of duty
Around 100 San Luis Obispo County peace officers and community members gathered at the Pismo Beach Pier on Thursday to honor California peace officers killed in the line of duty from 2020 through 2021.
It was the first memorial since 2019 after COVID-19 restrictions prevented people gathering for the event in 2020 and 2021.
San Luis Obispo Police Department Chief Rick Scott honored late SLOPD Det. Luca Benedetti in his opening remarks, saying he set an example to all of those around him.
Benedetti was killed in the line of duty on May 10, 2021, while executing a search warrant. He and the suspect were both killed during the incident and another detective was shot.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident and has yet to release a report.
Benedetti was also honored at a memorial in Sacramento on Sunday.
“This is how we honor our fallen heroes. This is how we continue their legacies. And this is how we never forget their selfless sacrifices,” Scott said in his opening remarks.
San Luis Obispo police Capt. Brian Amoroso read the names of officers killed in the line of duty from 2020 through 2021.
Amoroso also honored late Atascadero State Hospital Sergeant Thomas Stanley, who contracted COVID-19 in the line of duty and died because of complications from the disease.
Judy Cotta, treasurer and secretary for the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce, told the Tribune she attends memorials for fallen peace officers every year to honor an officer killed in the line of duty in Visalia, her hometown.
“Every year it affects me,” she said.
The ceremony closed with a moment of silence for the fallen officers, followed by “The Weight of the Badge” sung by Pismo Beach Officer William Anderson and a salute.
Officers from every law enforcement agency in the county attended the memorial. Kern County officers, California Highway Patrol officers, and California Department of Corrections officers also attended.
The Criminal Justice Administrators’ Association of San Luis Obispo County organized the event.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 12:47 PM.
