Beltrami County deputy recovering after pursuit, head-on crash with stolen car suspect

A Beltrami County deputy is recovering on Tuesday after suffering injuries during a chase with a stolen vehicle that ended in a crash.

Around 9:30 a.m., law enforcement was investigating a stolen vehicle from a mobile home park just west of Bemidji when the car was found and deputies tried to stop it, according to Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs.

Sheriff Riggs stated that the driver did not stop for law enforcement, and a pursuit ensued on gravel roads and snowmobile trails. The suspect briefly eluded law enforcement before the vehicle was spotted heading southbound on Grant Creek Road Northwest.

The suspect then struck a squad car with its lights activated on Grant Creek Road head-on, damaging both cars, Sheriff Riggs added.

The deputy who was inside the squad car was released from the hospital on Tuesday with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect, a 26-year-old man, was also brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Riggs said.

“As the Sheriff, I would like to express my extreme appreciation to the deputy that was injured today, as well as all law enforcement, for the sacrifices that they make and the risks they take to protect our communities. This appreciation does not end with those wearing the badge, but extends to the families that support their loved ones in a profession that can be very dangerous,” Riggs added.

The suspect is in custody and has not yet been charged.
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