San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office identifies shooting suspect

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office has identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Paso Robles on Thursday morning as 44-year-old Randall Kelley of San Miguel, according to a report by CalCoastNews. The identification comes a day after the fatal encounter, which began in a hotel parking lot and ended with five officers firing on an armed suspect alongside Highway 101.

For San Luis Obispo County residents, the case raises familiar questions about how law enforcement pursues suspects with outstanding warrants, when chases are called off for public safety, and how the county investigates shootings involving its own officers — all against the backdrop of a North County community where Highway 101 runs directly through town.

How the Incident Unfolded

According to the CalCoastNews report, deputies located Kelley's Ram pickup truck shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn Suites in Paso Robles, with the assistance of an automatic license plate reader.

Kelley was wanted on a felony arrest warrant alleging carrying a loaded firearm, possession of narcotics while armed with a firearm, and stalking. He also had an active $15,000 misdemeanor warrant related to an alleged violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Officials additionally said Kelley had threatened suicide by cop — a phrase used to describe incidents in which a person attempts to provoke lethal force from police.

When deputies moved to take Kelley into custody, he allegedly crashed his truck into a sheriff's patrol vehicle and fled north on Highway 101. CalCoastNews reported that Kelley later exited and re-entered the freeway in San Miguel, this time heading southbound at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

Deputies terminated the pursuit because of public safety concerns, according to the report. Kelley then crashed on southbound Highway 101 south of Niblick Road. He remained inside his vehicle and, officials said, refused to comply with repeated commands from law enforcement for roughly 20 minutes before exiting the truck and immediately pointing a handgun at officers.

Three sheriff's deputies and two Paso Robles police officers then fired at Kelley, according to the Sheriff's Office account relayed by CalCoastNews. Kelley was pronounced dead at the scene. No law enforcement personnel were reported injured.

Why License Plate Readers Played a Role

The incident underscores the growing role of automatic license plate reader technology in local policing. Deputies were able to locate Kelley's truck only after the system flagged it, according to the report. License plate readers have become increasingly common tools for California agencies, used to locate vehicles tied to Amber Alerts, stolen cars, and suspects with active warrants. Civil liberties groups have raised privacy concerns about how long plate data is retained and who can access it, debates that continue in communities across the Central Coast as agencies expand their surveillance networks.

Officer-Involved Shootings and the Review Process

Under California law, officer-involved shootings are typically investigated with involvement from the county District Attorney's Office, which determines whether the use of deadly force was legally justified. The Sheriff's Office has not publicly detailed a timeline for that review, and residents with questions about the process typically must wait weeks or months for official findings.

The multi-agency nature of the shooting — involving both sheriff's deputies and Paso Robles police officers — adds layers to any investigation. The Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward.

A North County Community on Edge

Paso Robles and the surrounding North County communities, including San Miguel where Kelley lived, have seen a string of high-profile public safety incidents in recent months, and Thursday's mid-morning shooting on one of the region's busiest freeway stretches drew significant local attention. The stretch of Highway 101 near Niblick Road is a main artery through Paso Robles, and a crash and lengthy law enforcement standoff there would have disrupted morning traffic and nearby businesses.

For residents of San Miguel, a small unincorporated community of roughly 2,500 people north of Paso Robles, the identification of a neighbor in a fatal officer-involved shooting is likely to hit close to home, particularly given the domestic violence restraining order and stalking allegations tied to the warrants.

What Comes Next

Investigators are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact the Sheriff's Office at (805) 781-4500. Standard practice following officer-involved shootings includes autopsies by the county coroner, witness interviews, and a District Attorney review of the officers' use of force. The five officers who fired — three deputies and two Paso Robles officers — will likely be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome, as is customary, though officials have not confirmed their status.

This story will be updated as additional details from the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's review become available. 805.life relies on official records and primary reporting; readers with information relevant to this case are encouraged to contact authorities directly.