SM Police to Be Disciplined for Fatal Officer Shooting

After Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin said last week he was carrying out disciplinary action against several department personnel involved in the fatally botched handling of the arrest of Officer Albert Covarrubias, DA Joyce Dudley said she has finished her investigation into the incident and found there were no underlying criminal violations committed by the department. Covarrubias was alerted to the fact he was going to be arrested on allegations of inappropriate behavior with a teenager and retaliated once officers moved in. He was subsequently shot and killed by his colleagues.