Suspect Named in Overnight Pursuit That Sends Clay County Deputy to the Hospital

Audio: Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting joins The Need to Know Morning Show to provide information on the overnight pursuit that resulted in a Clay County Deputy being transported to Sanford Hospital in Fargo. 

News Release from the Clay County Sheriff's Office:

On 2/25/2019 at approximately 0215 hours, Clay County Deputies initiated a pursuit of a vehicle that
was stolen from a Burglary in Cass County ND. Deputies were informed that the driver of the vehicle
had entered into an occupied dwelling in rural Cass County and then stole a vehicle.

The suspect lead deputies on a pursuit that went eastbound on HWY 10 to HWY 336, where the suspect
went southbound to I94 and then westbound back into the city of Moorhead. Deputies lost site of the
vehicle in Moorhead and terminated the pursuit. A short time later, another deputy had relocated the
vehicle and another pursuit ensued. This pursuit was again terminated as the driver of the vehicle was
going the wrong way as he was traveling northbound on 8 th Street South.

Another deputy seen the vehicle enter into an apartment building parking lot in the area of Brook
Avenue and 5 th Street South. When the deputy went to locate the vehicle, the suspect backed towards
him at a high rate of speed, ramming into his patrol vehicle on the passenger’s side. The suspect then
fled a short distance when he intentionally rammed into a second deputies patrol vehicle head on
causing the airbags to deploy. The suspect vehicles then became stuck in snowbank where deputies and
Moorhead Officers were able to take him into custody.

One deputy was transported to Sanford Hospital in Fargo for injuries he received when the suspect
rammed into his patrol vehicle, he was treated and released.

The suspect, Dustin Alexander Depiano a 30 year old male from Fargo, was taken into custody and
transported to the Clay County Jail for a Felony Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, Assault on an
Officer, Criminal Damage to Property as well as charges stemming from the incident in Cass County ND.