Slain SLO detective Luca Benedetti remembered as selfless 1 year after his death
Tuesday marks one year since San Luis Obispo Police Department Detective Luca Benedetti was killed in the line of duty, and more events are planned this week to honor his life.
Benedetti died in a shootout on May 10, 2021, while executing a search warrant at the home of a mentally ill man. He and the suspect were both killed during the incident and another detective was shot and injured.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the incident and has yet to release a report to the public.
Benedetti honored at fallen officer memorials
Benedetti was among 36 officers honored at a May 3 memorial in Sacramento where names of officers killed in the line of duty were immortalized in a monument.
He was remembered as “driven, disciplined and determined” at a vigil last year. He left behind a wife and two young daughters.
“Today we witnessed the name of a beloved member of our San Luis Obispo police family be forever cast in bronze at the foot of the California Police Officer’s Memorial,” San Luis Obispo Police Department Chief Rick Scott said at the Sacramento memorial. “We will always remember and honor Detective Benedetti’s selfless service for our family and a grateful community. We will never forget Luca and the inspiring legacy he leaves behind.”
Benedetti was also honored at a May 5 memorial at Pismo Beach Pier, where SLO County community members and law enforcement gathered to honor officers killed in the line of duty between 2020 and 2021.
Benedetti began his law enforcement career with the Atascadero Police Department in 2008, the Pismo Beach memorial program said. He joined SLOPD in 2012 and served as a traffic accident reconstructionist, range master, field training officer, detective, and a member of the county regional SWAT team.
He was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving as “Top Cop” seven different years for his enforcement of DUI laws. He was also a “driving force” behind SLOPD staffing a full-time DUI Enforcement Officer, the program said.
“Losing Luca was a tremendous loss for our entire law enforcement community, of the example he set for all of us,” Scott said at the Pismo Beach memorial. “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.”
Upcoming memorials to honor Benedetti
The San Luis Obispo Police Department posted on social media that it will be hosting a candelight vigil in Mission Plaza on Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. to celebrate the life of Benedetti.
The Downtown SLO Farmers Market has planned a law enforcement night this Thursday in observance of National Law Enforcement Week.
As part of the event, the San Luis Obispo Police Department will hand out memorial bracelets to honor Benedetti. The department also plans to host a special activation on Chorro Street.
The family-friendly event will include education demonstrations and opportunities to ask officers questions. Booths from each law enforcement agency will be seet up on Morro and Chorro Streets along the market route.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
