A white supremacist gang member was killed on Thursday in a police shootout in California's San Luis Obispo, officials said. The deceased, identified as Christopher Michael Straub, had a long history of multiple weapon charges, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The shootout occurred near a cemetery in Templeton after the sheriff's deputies tried to carry out a traffic stop on Straub, who pulled over his vehicle and attempted to run on foot. The sheriff's department said Straub ambushed the deputies and opened fire at them. Deputy Richard "Ted" Lehnhoff was injured in the shooting but was said to be in stable condition.
"Additional deputies arrived on scene and intercepted the suspect as he tried to regain access to his vehicle. He was still armed with a handgun at which point a second officer-involved shooting took place on Theatre Drive. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene," the sheriff's department said.
Who Was Christopher Michael Straub?
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office said Straub was a member of a white supremacist gang. However, the officials did not reveal the name of the gang. The 38-year-old had a vast criminal history including a misdemeanor conviction in 2007 for possessing a false check, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. In 2008, he was sentenced to two years for writing checks with inadequate funds and receiving stolen property.
After getting parole in June 2009, he was sentenced in February 2010 for two years for possession of a weapon by an ex-felon, the report said. His other convictions were related to assaulting a prisoner with a deadly weapon. He was released on parole in April 2014.
Following Thursday's shootout, the sheriff's deputies found multiple firearms in Straub's vehicle. These weapons included four assault rifles, one bolt action hunting rifle, one shotgun, two handguns plus the handgun with which he opened fire at the deputies. "After a search warrant was served on his residence, it was discovered he was illegally manufacturing parts for weapons. Straub was a wanted felon and it is illegal for felons to possess any weapons," the officials said.
