Sheriffs release name of officer who killed man

The Costa Mesa police officer who killed one man and wounded another in a confrontation in Temecula last month has been identified as Officer Scott Dibble, a nine-year veteran of the force.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department identified Dibble, 31, in a release Friday, saying it hadn’t disclosed his name to the public previously due to the ongoing investigation.

Sgt. Bryan Glass of the Costa Mesa Police Department confirmed that Dibble was the officer involved and said he had been back to work for about two weeks.

The Sheriff’s Department, in a release, declared Dibble the victim in the fight outside a restaurant in Temecula, although the deceased man’s family has previously challenged the claim that the officer acted in self-defense.

Karen Crowley, whose son died following the incident, did not return a call seeking comment Saturday.

Glass said his force would look into the Temecula incident on its own in the near future.

“We’ll receive everything from Riverside in regards to the case, and an internal review will be conducted, but at this time, there is no investigation being done,” he said.

— Michael Miller