Highway 101 overpass could be named after slain SLO police officer
A Highway 101 overpass could be named after a San Luis Obispo police officer who died in the line of duty.
California State Assembly member Jordan Cunningham proposed a resolution to name the Buena Vista Avenue overpass in San Luis Obispo after Det. Luca Benedetti, who was fatally shot while serving a search warrant in May 2021.
“Luca was best described by those closest to him as genuine, hardworking, kind, talented and intelligent. He made everyone he met feel special, and he loved being a dad,” Cunningham, a Republican who represents the 35th District, said in a news release. “We will always honor and remember his service to our community and the sacrifice he and his family have made.
“Benedetti is loved and missed by all who knew him, especially his wife and two children,” the resolution said.
The state legislature still must vote to approve the resolution. On June 13, the Assembly Transportation Committee is scheduled to hear the resolution.
Benedetti graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and the Allan Hancock College Law Enforcement Academy in Santa Maria.
In 2008, he went to work for the Atascadero Police Department, and in 2012 he joined the San Luis Obispo Police Department and Regional SWAT Team.
Benedetti, 37, was shot and killed while serving a search warrant along with five other officers at a San Luis Obispo apartment. Edward Giron, the shooting suspect, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and injuries from the officers’ return fire.
Benedetti was honored May 2 in a Sacramento ceremony for officers killed in the line of duty. On May 10 — the one-year anniversary of his death — more than 200 people attended a celebration of life for Benedetti in Mission Plaza in downtown San Luis Obispo.
“Luca embodied all of the qualities of a great father, husband and police officer,” San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott said in the news release. “He was the best of the best at the San Luis Obispo Police Department and his contributions to the department and the city will be felt for years to come.”
