Fallen officers were honored Thursday during a ceremony in Pismo Beach.
Law enforcement and many others from across the Central Coast gathered at the Pismo Pier for the Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony where this year, those being remembered include San Luis Obispo Police Detective Luca Benedetti and Atascadero State Hospital Police Sergeant Thomas Stanley.
The names of every officer lost in the line of duty in California since 2020 were read during the ceremony.
Detective Benedetti and Sgt. Stanley were among the 31 people remembered.
"There are no words or sound writing that can ease the pain that is felt with their death but today, we join together to honor their courage and express our gratitude for the impact they had on our lives,” Said Pismo Beach Police Chief Jeff Smith.
Stanley reportedly died from Covid-19-related complications last December.
Beneditti was shot and killed last May while serving a search warrant in the city.
"Losing Luca was a tremendous loss for our entire law enforcement community, but for the example he set for all of us on behalf of the women and men of the San Luis Obispo Police Department, I want to sincerely thank each of you, our law enforcement partners, our city leaders and our community, thank you for wrapping your arms around us and helping us thank you for helping the Benedetti family through what remains an incredibly difficult time for us all today. This what we're doing here. 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,” said San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott.
With the United States flag displayed on a San Luis Obispo City Fire ladder track nearby, the ceremony also included the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation honor guard, a 21-gun salute and CHP flyover.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department said the ceremony was extra meaningful to them this year following the loss of Benedetti.
Due to the pandemic, this was the first year this event has been held since 2019.
