Multiple officers injured while neutralizing gunman who opened fire on police station, shot deputy in the face in California

Several police officers were wounded during a manhunt for a suspect in California, with a gunman engaging police in a firefight after shooting a sheriff’s deputy in the face, leaving him gravely injured.

The search began after a man opened fire on a police station in Paso Robles on Wednesday, striking sheriff’s deputy Nicholas Dreyfus in the face, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office. After searching for more than 24 hours, the suspect – identified by police as Mason James Lira, 26 – was located, with police setting up a perimeter around the area and warning residents to keep away amid reports of gunfire.

Thirty minutes later, the sheriff’s office said the suspect had been brought down, adding that multiple officers were injured in the process, presumably in a shootout. The Paso Robles police also put out a “shots fired”warning for the area during the clash.

While the extent of the suspect’s injuries remains unclear, police suggested the gunman was either killed or brought into custody, while local reports noted that he was “unresponsive.” The sheriff’s office said there were no other suspects in the area, however.

Lira was also suspected in the shooting of another officer taking part in the city-wide manhunt earlier on Thursday, in addition to that of a 58-year-old man found dead near a train station in Paso Robles the day prior. The man was shot in the head at “close proximity” and police believe the incident is related to the other shootings.

Dreyfus was said to be in “guarded condition,” but little else is known about his status, nor the severity of the other officers’ injuries.

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