
UPDATE: The manhunt is over for the gunman wanted for an ambush attack on a
SLOS heriff Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus in Paso Robles Wednesday. Police say suspected shooter, Mason Lira, is “down” and several officers were wounded during an exchange of gunfire today.
Paso Robles, CA — The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the deputy shot on Wednesday.
San Luis Obispo County Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus was shot in the head on Wednesday, June 10th in Paso Robles.
28-year old Dreyfus began with the Sheriff’s Office in October 2018.
He is currently assigned to the North County Sheriff’s Station in Templeton.
“While searching for the suspect in the active shooter incident, Dreyfus was shot in the face.
He was transported to a local hospital and then flown to a trauma center out of the area where he underwent surgery for his injuries.
The surgery was successful.
He is listed in guarded condition and his prognosis is good.
Dreyfus is married. His wife and family members are with him as he recovers.”
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson says the man believed to have shot him is 26-year-old Mason James Lira.
Lira lived in Fresno and Visalia before moving to the coast according to court documents.
He has a history of mental illness and has a misdemeanor criminal history in Tulare County, ranging from battery on a peace officer to which he pleaded guilty in 2015, and most recently failing to appear on a 2019 returning to a school campus case.
In August of 2019, an Amtrak train departing from Eugene, Oregon was forced to make an unscheduled stop because Lira was allegdly threatening to harm himself and others on the train.
Police in Oregon said Lira, was talking about weapons and threatening passengers and the train conductor.
Lira was seen purchasing food @ a convenience store around 2:00AM Thursday morning.
Sheriff Parkinson says Lira also shot and killed another man before shooting Deputy Dreyfus.
Los Banos Police found the body of a 58-year-old transient, who had been shot in the back of the head, on the Amtrack platform in Paso Robles, after the shooting at the police precinct .
Deputy Dreyfus posted about his love of being in Law Enforcement, just 7 days before he was ambushed.