Dozens gather in Paso Robles for memorial to honor fallen officers
Paso Robles native Mary Thompson still remembers the day she wasn’t sure her father would be coming home from work.
Thompson’s father commuted from Paso Robles to Soledad to work at the state prison for the Department of Corrections, she told The Tribune.
One day, when Thompson was a teenager, there was a news story: An inmate had shot and killed a correctional supervisor.
“That was scary,” Thompson said, noting how she anxiously waited by the door for her father to return. “And we didn’t know (who was killed) until Dad came home.”
She later learned it was her dad’s best friend who died that day.
It’s one of the many reasons why Thompson attended the Peace Officers’ Memorial on Wednesday at Paso Robles Downtown City Park. It’s also why she, and several other members of her family, pursued their own careers in law enforcement.
“They’re here to try to protect us,” Thompson said. “When you have people who don’t want them, that’s sad to me. That’s very sad.”
The memorial honored law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty throughout California. Paso Robles Police Department Sergeant Steve Boyett read each name, one by one:
Elk Grove Police Department Officer Tyler Lenehan
Huntington Beach Police Department Officer Nicholas Vella
Salinas Police Department Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
Department of Homeland Security Agent David Humberto Salazar
Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ryan Tipping
El Monte Police Department Officer Joseph Anthony Santana
El Monte Police Department Sgt. Michael Domingo Paredes
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sheriff Isaiah Cordero
Two law enforcement officers laid a rose with each name as another rang a bell.
San Luis Obispo Police Department Chaplain Paul Sisemore and his wife Teri Sisemore said they do their best to attend every memorial for fallen officers they can.
“We want them to know that that we’re here for them, that they’re being covered in prayer,” Teri Sisemore said. “We want them to know that we really, really do appreciate what they do for us.”
The Sisemores’ son is an officer with the SLO department, they said, which can be difficult. They are extremely proud of the work he does to protect his community, but they also fear one day they’ll get a call that he won’t be coming home.
“You just pray, because what else can you do?” Teri Sisemore said.
Paul Sisemore said law enforcement officers are real people with real families, which sometimes people may forget about. He said the best way to make their job easier is to support them in any way possible.
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott told The Tribune it was important for him to attend the memorial not only to honor this year’s fallen officers, but to also honor the fallen officers of years past.
That includes SLOPD Det. Luca Benedetti, who was killed May 10, 2021, during the execution of a search warrant.
“It’s difficult to see more names go on the wall each and every year,” Scott said. “But I think it’s important that we continue to encourage good men and women to do this job.”
Scott said he hopes Benedetti’s legacy — and the legacy of all fallen officers — continue to be remembered. They gave the ultimate sacrifice, he said.
