By Greg Welter
Chico Enterprise-Record
WILLOWS, Calif. — Willows Police Chief Bill Spears was a senior-ranking sergeant with the Santa Maria Police Department when he left in 2006, over concerns about low morale and differences he had with the chief.
Early on Sunday morning Spears learned that a Santa Maria officer he once commanded was forced to shoot and kill a fellow officer a former Police Explorer scout Spears had once mentored. The tragedy played out at a busy Santa Maria intersection during a DUI checkpoint.
“I got a call about an hour after it happened,” Spears said.
According to media reports, Santa Maria officer Alberto Covarrubias Jr., a nine-year veteran, was suspected of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in the department’s Police Explorer program.
Covarrubias, 29, had married three weeks before.
An internal investigation had earlier been launched into the relationship with the Explorer, and the arrest of Covarrubias was considered imminent.
Spears said it is his understanding the department learned some new information in the investigation Saturday. “Some felt it was critical for public safety reasons that the officer be removed immediately,” Spears said.
Covarrubias, a motorcycle officer, and the Explorer were both assigned to work the DUI checkpoint.
For unknown reasons, the commanding officer at the scene told all officers present, including Covarrubias, that the girl was going to be called away for an investigation.
Covarrubias allegedly panicked when he heard the commanding officer announce the girl was going to make a “pretext call” to a suspect, designed to get the suspect to admit to wrongdoing.
Covarrubias reportedly began texting the girl, allegedly stating he would rather kill himself than go to jail.
The girl placed the call, and the officer, though knowing he was being investigated, acknowledged their sexual relationship.
At about 1 a.m. two sergeants one of them the officer’s cousin approached Covarrubias to take him into custody.
The officer reportedly stepped back and tried to draw his weapon. As he was taken to the ground he fired four times, but didn’t hit anyone.
Spears said he learned firing the weapon may have been a suicide attempt by Covarrubias.
When he aimed his service revolver at officer Matt Kline, his best friend and best man at his wedding, Kline drew and fired, fatally wounding the Covarrubias.
Spears said he is getting his information second-hand, but doesn’t believe he would have handled the officer’s arrest in that manner.
He said he believes Police Chief Danny Macagni, his former boss, did a good job of explaining it during a press conference.
Kline is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
“I feel bad for everyone involved in this, but I’m especially worried about the officer that did the shooting,” Spears said.
“It’s bad enough for an officer to have to shoot anyone on the job, but killing a fellow officer, under any circumstance, makes it much more traumatic,” Spears stated.
“This could cast a shadow over him and some of the other officers for the rest of their careers.”
Spears added that he wouldn’t be surprised to see some officers resign in the wake of what he called “a gut-wrenching tragedy.”
Spears said he helped develop the Police Explorer program in Santa Maria, and always insisted on the “two deep” rule. “That means two officers must be present at all times during Explorer functions, just so something like this can be avoided, or halted before it becomes an issue.”
He said he doesn’t believe the tragedy will take a serious toll on Police Explorer programs elsewhere, like the one for which Willows is actively recruiting.
Spears said the incident could be devastating to a department that has recently been rocked by other misfortune. “This is the third officer shot in the (Santa Maria) department since early December,” Spears said.
In a shoot-out with a suspect late last year one officer was shot in the leg and suffered a shattered femur, while another was shot in the thumb. Spears said he learned some questionable tactics may have exposed the officers to gunfire.
The suspect was killed.
The department is reportedly denying the officer a police funeral. Police officials who have appeared in public in regard to the incident have not been wearing black bands over their badges.
Spears said Santa Maria employs just over 100 officers.
Copyright 2012 Chico Enterprise-Record