‘Welcome Home Nick.’ Tribute honors SLO County Sheriff’s Office deputy injured in shootout
Dozens of families lined up on three North County bridges across Highway 101 in late June welcome home a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was injured in a shootout with a homicide suspect.
Nicholas Dreyfus had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for almost two years, and was based at the Templeton substation.
Dreyfus, 28, was shot in the face June 10 as he and another deputy responded to reports of an early morning attack on the Paso Robles Police Department. Dreyfus was flown to a trauma center, where he underwent multiple surgeries.
The shooter, later identified as Mason James Lira, allegedly killed a homeless man and shot and injured three more law enforcement officers during a massive two-day manhunt in the North County. A fifth officer was hit by shrapnel.
Lira, 26, died June 11 during a shoot-out with police.
Community support for injured SLO County deputy
Dreyfus returned home June 28 as part of a vehicle procession down Highway 101 that included several patrol cars.
As the procession passed, supporters cheered from overpass bridges. Undersheriff Jim Voge and wife Ramona Voge held up a large banner festooned with two Sheriff’s Office emblems that read “Welcome Home Nick.”
Before Dreyfus returned home, the community had already rallied to help and express their support for the deputy, according to Sheriff Ian Parkinson.
“It never fails to amaze me how people come together in times of a crisis,” Parkinson wrote in a June 30 news release. “A few weeks ago, we had a tragic incident play out in Paso Robles which left an innocent man dead, seriously wounded one of our Deputies and injured four other law enforcement officers.
“Since that time, I have seen the most genuine and generous outpouring of support from the community,” Parkinson wrote in the release, including cookies, cakes, pizza, pies and pastries, “Much of it homemade and all of it donated.”
Displays of support included banners, blue ribbons, posters, signs and cards, plus social media mentions, donations and fundraisers.
“In my 36 years in law enforcement, I have never seen such a good thing,” Parkinson wrote. “But then, I just have to remind myself that I live in San Luis Obispo County.”
Various friends and community members have already held or will hold fundraisers to help Dreyfus and his family.
Donations can be sent to SLO Leaf, P.O. Box 13126, San Luis Obispo CA 93406, and should be labeled as being on behalf of the Dreyfus Family.
As of midday July 4, a gofundme account at GoFundMe fundraiser for Dreyfus had raised more than $62,000 in donations. Rooster’s Firearms, 98 S. Main St. in Templeton, is hosting a tri-tip fundraiser on Sunday, July 12.
According a Facebook post by David “Smokedogg” Drew of Cambria, commander of Sons of American Legion Squadron No. 432, that nonprofit and its parent legion post in Cambria are planning a big barbecue-and-raffle fundraiser soon.
The Dreyfus family has longtime ties to the North Coast, including those of Nick Dreyfus’ late grandfather, Don Campo, a past commander of the legion post, and cousin Buddy Campo.
