ST. PAUL — The Ramsey County Medical Examiner has identified a man who led law enforcement on a high speed pursuit on Monday. Jared Robert Nash, 28, of 11205 Highway 89 in Bemidji died as a result of suicide by a single gunshot wound. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating the circumstances leading up to Nash’s death.
Law enforcement had been attempting to locate Nash related to a pursuit incident from last week. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper spotted Nash’s vehicle just before 2 p.m. Monday headed southbound on County Road 23 north of Bemidji, travelling in excess of 100 mph. The suspect eluded the trooper, but a Leach Lake Tribal Police Department officer and Cass County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted his vehicle again at 3:17 p.m. heading west on Highway 2 near Norway Beach in Cass County, again at a high rate of speed.
A pursuit ensued along Highway 2 with several other agencies joining and reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph. Officers made phone contact with Nash to try to get him to stop, at which time they learned he had a gun in his vehicle. Because Nash was headed to a heavily-populated area, officers deployed spike strips to stop him. Nash hit the strips on Highway 2, heading west on Division St. in Bemidji and coming to a stop near Division St. and Hidden Trail Court.
According to the preliminary investigation, law enforcement officers immediately shouted commands for Nash to exit the vehicle, after which they heard a single gunshot. Nash was pronounced dead at the scene. The initial indication is that no officers fired their weapons.
Agencies involved in the pursuit included the Cass, Beltrami and Hubbard County sheriff’s offices, the Bemidji Police Department, the Leach Lake Tribal Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol and members of the Safe Trails Task Force. Beltrami Ambulance assisted at the scene.
Nash was the subject of a pursuit by the Minnesota State Patrol on July 25 in Beltrami County related to driving after license cancellation. That pursuit was discontinued without law enforcement apprehending Nash. During both incidents officers knew who they were pursuing. No one else was in Nash’s vehicle during Monday’s incident.
Once the BCA completes its investigation it will present its findings to the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office for review.
