SLO Sheriff’s Office releases video of Deputy-involved January shooting in Templeton
TEMPLETON, Calif. – On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office released video footage of a deputy-involved shooting in Templeton on Jan. 29, 2025.
Investigation materials from the shooting have been turned over to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office for prosecution and a review of the Deputy's use of force shared the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office in the video.
On Jan. 29, at 9:55 p.m., dispatchers received a call of an intoxicated man shooting a pistol in the 1200 block of Main Street in Templeton stated the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office in Tuesday's video.
As shown in the image below from the Deputy-Involved Shooting video, the location of the call -marked as the red symbol- was between the Salinas River and Templeton High School.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, the person who called in the incident identified the shooter as 37-year-old Thomas Farrell and told dispatchers that Farrell was under the influence of nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as whippits.
Two Sheriff's vehicles -each with two Deputies inside- arrived on scene at 10 p.m. and seconds after passing a gate and proceeding onto a nearby property, the first Sheriff's vehicle was hit by gunfire detailed the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The image below, taken from the Deputy-Involved Shooting video from the dashcam of the second Sheriff's vehicle, shows the moment that Farrell opened fire from the cover of a tree just to the left of the Sheriff's vehicle.
The image below, from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's video, highlights the muzzle flash from the handgun.
The following image from the Deputy-Involved Shooting video shows Farrell after getting up from the ground and approaching the first Sheriff's vehicle while opening fire again.
None of the Deputies inside of the first Sheriff's vehicle were hit by the gunfire and the vehicle pulled forward away from the shooter explained the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The image below, from the Deputy-Involved Shooting video, shows the first Sheriff's vehicle after the shooting.
One Deputy in the second vehicle fired several rounds and hit Farrell twice stated the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
After 46 seconds pass following the final shot fired by the Deputy, a call for medical aid for the injured Farrell was made from the scene and Deputies held him at gunpoint for approximately two-and-a-half minutes while awaiting additional units shared the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The image below from the Deputy-Involved Shooting video shows Deputies making their approach to the injured Farrell who is laying along the fence line and the handgun he was wielding is shown on the roadway.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, Farrell was transported to a local hospital by an ambulance for treatment and, after being medically cleared, he was arrested and booked on two counts of attempted murder of a Peace Officer.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office noted that the involved Deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with Sheriff's Office policy.
