TEMPLETON, California -- A San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputy who was wounded in an ambush by a known member of a white supremacist gang was released from the hospital on Sunday.
A deputy was driving in the Theatre Drive area around 10:20 a.m. when he recognized the car of a wanted felon parked on the side of the road and discovered the vehicle was unoccupied, according to a news release.
The deputy then proceeded north and found the man, identified as 38-year-old Christopher Michael Straub, walking on Cemetery Road off Theatre Drive near the Templeton Cemetery and attempted to make a pedestrian traffic stop, but the man took off running toward the cemetery.
Officials said that the suspect hid behind a bush and when two deputies approached the area, he ambushed them. Deputy Ted Lehnhoff was shot in the leg
Lehnhoff was airlifted to a local hospital where he underwent surgery on his leg before being released on Sunday.
"It was a joyous day at the Sheriff’s Office today as Sheriff’s Deputy Ted Lehnhoff was released from the hospital," the Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post. "Sheriff’s Deputies were at the hospital to greet Deputy Lehnhoff where he gave a thumbs up and a big smile to be going home. And then a procession of Sheriff’s patrol units escorted the vehicle carrying Deputy Lehnhoff as it made its way up Highway 101 as crowds cheered from overpasses along the route.Deputy Lehnhoff will now finish his recovery at home. Welcome home Ted! It’s good to have you back!"
Lehnhoff began his career at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office in 2008 as a Correctional Deputy. He left for a job in law enforcement in Riverside County. In 2015, and he returned to the Sheriff's Office to work as a Patrol Deputy.
Straub had a significant criminal history having been booked 28 times into jails all across California including two incarcerations in state prison. He was a known member of a white supremacist gang and a criminal investigation had already been initiated by the Sheriff's Gang Task Force when this incident occurred.
Multiple weapons were discovered afterwards in Straub's vehicle including four assault rifles, one bolt action hunting rifle, one shotgun, two handguns plus the handgun he used to shoot at deputies. After a search warrant was served on his residence, it was discovered he was illegally manufacturing parts for weapons.
The investigation into the shooting is continuing.
