It’s been nearly four months since the shooting death of Santa Maria police officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr., but people awaiting answers from investigations into the incident will have to wait a bit longer.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley told the Sun the Sheriff’s Department forwarded its reports on the incident to her office earlier this month. Five members of her team are reviewing the reports, she said.
“They then make a list of questions for further investigation that they want the Sheriff’s Department to do,” Dudley explained. “The whole process takes about a month … I’m thinking just because there’s a few things that I want to take a look at myself.”
After consideration, Dudley said she would then issue a determination on whether the shooting was a justified use of deadly force. She said she anticipates releasing her findings the first week of June.
Covarrubias was shot and killed Jan. 28 by fellow officer Matthew Kline as police attempted to arrest Covarrubias on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a minor police explorer. Police said that during the arrest, which occurred after Covarrubias cleared a DUI checkpoint on Broadway Road, a struggle ensued, and Covarrubias fired at the arresting officers.
A concurrent internal affairs probe into the shooting is also ongoing; it’s been outsourced by the Santa Maria Police Department. The Office of Independent Review’s chief attorney, Michael Gennaco, told the Sun an anticipated audit of the department by his Los Angeles-based office won’t begin until both the criminal and administrative investigations are finished.
“Certainly, what is learned from those investigations will be helpful for our systemic review,” Gennaco said. “They’re looking at a particular incident; we’re looking at a much broader slice of the pie. I think it makes sense to wait until those are done before we dig in.”
Gennaco, who would head the audit, said his team would look at issues like police training, policy and practices, and supervision and accountability within the department. There’s no timetable set for completion.
“We prefer to be thorough, and I think the city is interested in us being thorough,” he said.
This article appears in May 17-24, 2012.