Cal Poly and the City of San Luis Obispo are partnering to hold a memorial service tomorrow for San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) Detective Luca Benedetti, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.
The memorial will be held at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 20 at 10 a.m.
Benedetti, a Cal Poly alumnus, was killed while serving a search warrant for stolen property near South Higuera Street last Monday.
Officers provided knock and notice for burglary suspect Edward Giron. When no one opened the door, officers forced the door open, and Giron was “lying in wait and began to fire shots in the apartment,” according to acting San Luis Obispo Police Chief Brian Amoroso.
Both Benedetti and Detective Steve Orozco were shot on site. Orozco is in stable condition.
Benedetti worked with SLOPD for more than eight years. He is survived by his wife Grace Benedetti, who is also a Cal Poly alumna, and their two daughters.
Various parking and traffic modifications will be taking place Thursday according to an email from Cal Poly Transportation and Parking Services.
The top level of the Grand Avenue parking structure will be reserved for attendees. Structure 131 will be closed entirely. Students with Structure 131 parking permits who need access to their vehicles are encouraged to park in any resident parking area from Wednesday, May 19 at 12 p.m. to Friday, May 21 at 7 a.m.
The following roads will also be closed to campus traffic:
- Grand Avenue will be closed at Pacheco Road (intersection at Vista Grande Dining Complex)
- Perimeter Road will be closed at the Administration Building parking lot (A-1)
- Klamath Road between Fremont Hall and Deer Road will be closed
- The Grand Avenue campus entrance (Grand Avenue and Slack Street) will be closed to through traffic.
Amtrak services will be paused between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.; however SLO transit and RTA services will remain in service with detours around Grand Avenue.
About 2,000 to 3,000 police officers are anticipated to attend the memorial service, according to an Ethnic Studies Department email sent to students.
The San Luis Obispo Police Officer Association and the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT team have organized a GoFundMe to raise money for Benedetti’s family.
“The entire San Luis Obispo Police Department is grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received from the community,” Amoroso said. “And we are also grateful for the continued support we’ve received from our Central Coast law enforcement partners and beyond.”
