SANTA MARIA – The shooting death of Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias Jr. by a fellow officer and his best friend on the force has been what SMPD Chief Dan Macagni says is one of the most difficult experiences in the history of the department.
The FBI's Crisis Management Team has been called in to help any officer who may be struggling emotionally with the death of their colleague.
"For everyone who was involved, we will do what we can to help them through this situation", Macagni told reporters during a press briefing on the shooting last Saturday.
"Its one of those things that you hate to have happen", says professional therapist Ole von Frausing-Borch who worked as a staff psychologist with the LA County Sheriff's Department.
He says he helped deputies whenever they fired their weapon in a lethal or non-lethal situation.
"They feel like they can handle everything themselves", von Frausing-Borch says, "you have to be able to say to them, you know what, you're just another human being, you have the same feelings and emotions as any other human being, you have a right to feel guilty, you have a right to be angry, you have a right to feel frustrated."
Many Santa Maria police officers attend local churches where they often turn in times like this for spiritual support.
"Its not the same for any two people, grief is never the same", says Pastor Jim Schettler of First Baptist Church in Santa Maria, "they have to realize that they need help, that they need the encouragement.
Schettler says he's provided counseling to law enforcement officers and other first responders over the past 20 years of his ministry.
"You may have a varied amount of emotion", Schettler says, "you may have anger, you may have great depression, you may go through great discouragement."
"They are usually the caregiver, the one that's being the supporter", Schettler says, "now they have to be willing to receive help from others and sometimes that's one of the most difficult things they struggle with."
"You have the same rights anybody else has that's been through a really, really traumatic experience", adds von Frausing-Borch, "you need to reach out to people, whether its a professional or just another friend, you need to reach out to them and say, I'm hurting."
