Sacramento, CA…California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Joe Farrow and Doug Villars, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, today made the following remarks following the announcement by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department that one former and two current CHP employees were arrested in connection with the 2012 murder of Turlock resident Korey Kaufmann:

“I am deeply saddened by today’s announcement. The allegations themselves are extremely disturbing to a professional law enforcement organization and are a deep blow to the soul of the law enforcement profession itself,” Commissioner Farrow said. “The entire Department and I are appalled at the mere thought that one former and two current employees played any role in this incident. What our Department has learned of the allegations regarding their involvement has truly hurt the men and women of this organization.

“We very much appreciate the efforts of all of those who have worked tirelessly to investigate this case,” Farrow said. “I have questions, and I know the public and the media will have questions as well. While our desire is to be as forthcoming and transparent as possible, we also do not want to say or do anything to jeopardize justice for Korey’s family, to whom I offer my deepest and most sincere condolences.”

Villars also expressed his condolences to the family and said, “These charges are devastating and are not reflective of the values of the hard-working men and women we represent in the highway patrol.”

As soon as the CHP was made aware of the investigation and its employees’ potential involvement, the CHP took immediate action. Walter Wells, III, is no longer employed by the CHP. Officers Scott McFarlane and Eduardo Quintanar are on administrative leave and have had their peace officer powers revoked pending the results of the department’s internal investigation.

The CHP will continue to fully cooperate with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department on this investigation and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office as it prosecutes this case.

“What I can assure you is this: the CHP has a long history as a professional and respected law enforcement organization. Every day, our 11,000 employees strive to be the Department the public expects and deserves,” Farrow continued. “Each and every one of them – those who wear the uniform and those who do not – have my full support as they go about their daily duty to keep California safe.”