SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin tells Central Coast News that several officers have been fired or reprimanded for their roles in the investigation and shooting death of Officer Albert Covarrubias Junior while he was on duty more than a year ago.
Martin says he has received a detailed report from two retired sheriff's deputies the city hired to conduct a thorough investigation into the Covarrubias matter. Based off the findings in that report, Chief Martin has disciplined several officers in the department.
Martin says because it's an ongoing personnel matter, he is prevented by law from disclosing details in the internal investigation, including the names and ranks of those being reprimanded or fired. He does confirm that it involves up to ten officers from all ranks of the department.
The officers terminated have ten days to appeal their firings, and if they choose to appeal, it would move to court.
Officer Covarrubias was shot and killed by a fellow officer last year after other officers were trying to arrest him for having a sexual relationship with a then 17-year-old girl, who was a police explorer scout.
