Update: Motorcyclist arrested after high-speed chase through SLO County

Joseph Grady Shepard, 33, of Nipomo was arrested Friday night after leading officers on a chase up and down Highway 101 that reached speeds of 120 mph.

The chase began at 10:34 p.m. when a single San Luis Obispo CHP officer started following a speeding motorcycle on northbound Highway 101 on the Cuesta Grade, according to CHP Sgt. Perry Heidebrink.

“The chase went into the Templeton CHP area where a Templeton patrol unit took over. At this point they called it a pursuit,” Heidebrink said.

Shepard raced northbound to Wellsona Road in Paso Robles, then turned around and went back south on Highway 101.

“Once the pursuit came all the way back to the Cuesta Grade, three San Luis Obispo CHP units took over at Old Stagecoach Road,” Heidebrink said.

“The officers chased Shepard to just north of Los Berros Road in Arroyo Grande , where his motorcycle ran out of gas,” Heidebrink said.

Shepard was arrested for felony reckless evading a peace officer. He was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail. The jail booking log shows he was also charged with two more felonies, possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.

The incident is still under investigation.

The reason the motorcyclist gave for evading the officers? “He said that he didn’t have a motorcycle license,” Heidebrink said.

This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 11:41 PM.