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Paso Robles police said the downtown area search was over Wednesday afternoon.
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A manhunt is underway in California for an armed man who authorities say fired at the Paso Robles Police Department Wednesday morning.
San Luis Obispo County deputies and California Highway Patrol officers responded and one deputy was shot, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputy is in serious but stable condition and was airlifted to a trauma center, the sheriff’s office said. He was shot in the face and underwent surgery, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson told ABC News.
Paso Robles police said the shooting stopped around 4 a.m. local time and officers launched a “systematic search.”
The armed suspect is described as a man in his 20s or 30s, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities released a photo of the suspect on Wednesday night.
By Wednesday afternoon, Paso Robles police said the downtown area search was over and authorities were following up on leads as they continued to look for the suspect.
The sheriff’s office also said the body of a man who was shot in the head at close range was found near the Paso Robles Amtrak Station Wednesday morning. The victim killed was likely a transient who was camping out near the train tracks, authorities said.
“Investigators believe the homicide is related to the shooting incident this morning that is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office,” the sheriff’s office said. “If you have information please contact the Paso Robles Police Department.”
Dan Dow, San Luis Obispo County district attorney, tweeted, “Please keep the @SLOSheriff Deputy who was shot and all other deputies, and other local law enforcement officers in your prayers for safety. May they be protected as they continue to search for the shooter and may the shooter be apprehended and brought to justice.”
Parkinson said he believes his deputies were targeted and that it’s been hard to police in the current environment of protests. Three law enforcement officers have been ambushed in California in recent weeks, including in Santa Cruz and Oakland.
“To be honest, it’s difficult,” Parkinson told ABC News. “It’s a difficult thing when somebody accuses you of racism when you’re not racist. I think it takes a lot of courage to continue to do the job in a very professional way.”
