Update: SLO County sheriff details gun battle that killed suspect, injured deputy in Templeton
Update, 4:30 p.m.
The San Luis Obispo County’s Sheriff’s Office identified a man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Templeton as a convicted felon and a white supremacist gang member, Sheriff Ian Parkinson said at a news conference on Thursday.
The incident began at about 10:20 a.m. when a deputy noticed a vehicle parked in 3400 block of Theatre Drive in Paso Robles.
“He recognized the vehicle as belonging to a wanted felon,” Parkinson said. The deputy made a U-turn, came back and saw it was unoccupied.
Continuing north, the deputy located the suspect walking on Cemetery Road off Theatre Drive, made a pedestrian traffic stop, and asked to speak with the suspect, who promptly fled toward Templeton Cemetery, Parkinson said.
As a second deputy arrived, the suspect ran into the cemetery and hid behind thick shrubbery, Parkinson said.
When deputies approached, the suspect ambushed them.
“The suspect shot multiple rounds at the deputy, striking one deputy in the lower leg. And the deputies returned fire,” Parkinson said.
The suspect then ran into nearby vineyard before turning back to where his vehicle was parked on Theatre Drive.
By that point, two more deputies had arrived, responding to a call that a deputy had been shot.
“The two additional deputies pulled up, engaged the suspect, who was still armed with a handgun, and engaged in a gun battle where the suspect was struck and pronounced dead at the scene,” Parkinson said.
Parkinson said the deputy was airlifted to local hospital and is in stable condition, awaiting surgery.
The suspect is a convicted felon with an outstanding felony warrant, a history of weapons charges and a member of white supremacist gang, Parkinson said.
“He was known by us, he was wanted by us and he was considered armed and dangerous,” Parkinson said.
The shooting was the third to involve sheriff’s deputies in the past 4 months, Parkinson said, “which is very unusual for San Luis Obispo County.”
Update, 1:45 p.m.
A heavy law enforcement presence remained in the Templeton area as of 1:45 p.m. Thursday.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s public information officer Tony Cipolla said Sheriff’s deputies had responded to reports of an officer-involved shooting around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Cipolla confirmed that a deputy had been “wounded by gunfire” and that the suspect was killed on the scene.
Cipolla said the extent of the deputy’s injuries are unknown at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
“(There are) a lot of moving parts right now,” Cipolla said on the scene. “We’re just trying to nail down what happened and why it happened.”
Update, 11:45 a.m.
A San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputy was injured in an officer-involved shooting that left the suspect dead Thursday morning in Templeton.
The Sheriff’s Office said the deputy was transferred to a hospital to be treated for their wounds. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time.
The suspect was shot near the Templeton Cemetery on Theatre Drive around 10:40 a.m., according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A large law enforcement presence was on the scene in a vineyard about 200 yards north of the Main Street interchange over Highway 101. The Sheriff’s Office is asking people stay away from the area.
Original story:
A law enforcement officer shot a suspect Thursday morning near the Templeton Cemetery, according to scanner traffic.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the incident on Theatre Drive just before 10:30 a.m.
According to scanner traffic, the suspect was down by 10:40 a.m.
At this time, deputies said over the scanner that they do not believe there are any other suspects involved in the shooting.
The Sheriff’s Office tweeted that people should steer clear of the area near Templeton Cemetery Road and Theatre Drive.
There are no further details on the shooting at this time.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 10:54 AM.
