Military

Officers Wounded, Suspect Dead After Second Standoff in San Luis Obispo County

June 12, 2020Joshua Skovlund
police, coffee or die

Shootout between police and criminals. Close-up dangerous offender shooting at police car and officers. Cops hiding behind the patrol car and fighting back. Adobe Stock photo.

The manhunt for the gunman who ambushed the Paso Robles Police Department on Wednesday, which left a San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputy in critical condition, has ended. Mason James Lira was shot and killed after a standoff with a combined law enforcement force Thursday night.


The sheriff’s deputy has been identified as 28-year-old Nicholas Dreyfus. He started with the sheriff’s department in October 2018 and is currently assigned to the North County Sheriff’s Station in Templeton, California. Dreyfus was transported to a local hospital after taking a gunshot to the face and was subsequently transferred to a trauma center where he underwent surgery. According to the SLO County Sheriff Department’s press release, “He is listed in guarded condition and his prognosis is good.”


Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus
Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus during a ceremony. Photo courtesy of SLO County Sheriff Department/Twitter.

Law enforcement received a report of shots fired Wednesday night at approximately 10:20. When officers arrived in the area, they located a male matching Lira’s description. Lira egressed to a close-by apartment complex, and officers attempted to contain him in the area. Lira escaped through a nearby riverbed shortly after. After officers located Lira again, he fired several shots before retreating back into the riverbed.


Sheriff Ian Parkinson reported during a press briefing that the allied force established a large containment perimeter.


“We used the assistance of the FBI SWAT team to assist along with many other agencies to contain the riverbed,” he said.


Parkinson explained how large the area was and that it would require a complex search effort. They established a search plan to locate Lira Thursday morning.


Mason James Lira
Mason James Lira mug shot. Photo courtesy of SLO County Sheriff’s Department/Twitter.

At approximately 2:10 PM Thursday, Lira opened fire on officers who were part of the containment perimeter, shooting an Arroyo Grande Police Department sergeant through the calf. The sergeant was immediately evacuated and transported to a local hospital for treatment of the non-life threatening wound.


The combined law enforcement element narrowed their perimeter and responded to the area of the shooting. Lira opened fire on the officers again, hitting a California Highway Patrol officer in the chest, striking his bulletproof vest. While a Kings County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to pull the CHP officer to safety, he sustained a gunshot wound above his knee. Both officers were transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening wounds.


As officers were adapting their search plan, Lira came out of his hiding spot in the brush of the riverbed. He ran toward a vineyard in an attempt to escape and was shot by law enforcement officers. Lira was pronounced dead at the scene. A separate SLO County Sheriff Department’s press release stated, “Officers found Lira in possession of two handguns that are believed to have been stolen from a commercial burglary in the City of San Luis Obispo a few days before the shooting of the Sheriff’s deputy on June 10th.”



Joshua Skovlund
Joshua Skovlund

Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die. He covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Coffee Or Die Photo
From the Team Room to Team Room Design: An Operator’s Creative Journey

BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!

Coffee Or Die Photo
Get Your Viking On: The Exclusive 30 Sec Out BRCC Shirt Club Design

Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.

Grizzly Forge BRCC shirt
Limited Edition: Grizzly Forge Blades on an Awesome BRCC Shirt

Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.

BRCC Limited Edition Josh Raulerson Blackbeard Skull Shirt
From Naval Service to Creative Canvas: BRCC Veteran Artist Josh Raulerson

Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.

Medal of Honor is held up.
Biden Will Award Medal of Honor to Army Helicopter Pilot Who Rescued Soldiers in Vietnam Firefight

Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2024 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved