Autopsy Results Verify a Manilla Man Died from a Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Following a Pursuit

(Early, IA) A Manilla man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a pursuit last week.

The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says on Friday, June 14, at around 3:18 p.m., they were notified of a vehicle pursuit in Crawford County that was heading north toward Ida and Sac County. The suspect vehicle was a Lincoln Navigator that had been reported stolen out of Woodbury County earlier that morning. The vehicle was driven by Jason Scott French, of Manilla. French was wanted on a felony warrant out of South Dakota. Information was shared by Woodbury County that French had a handgun on him and had made threats to harm officers.

As Crawford County terminated the pursuit, an Ida County Deputy located the suspect vehicle in southeastern Ida County and pursued this vehicle into southwestern Sac County. The pursuit continued northbound where attempts to stop the vehicle utilizing stop sticks were unsuccessful. Sac County Deputies and Iowa State Patrol maintained the pursuit to the area of Jackson Avenue and 290th Street. The suspect vehicle continued into a field and came to rest in a ditch after impacting a fence. French was observed exiting the vehicle with a handgun. Attempts were initially made to communicate with French using a PA system.

Iowa State Patrol aircraft and Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office drones were utilized to make overhead observations of French’s movements. Crisis negotiators and tactical teams from Storm Lake and Buena Vista County were dispatched to the scene to assist. After approximately two hours, a gunshot was heard by law enforcement. Drone footage confirmed French was no longer moving. Several law enforcement agencies approached French, who was deceased with a handgun located nearby on the ground. No shots were fired by law enforcement. Preliminary autopsy results verify a contact gunshot wound to the head.