Rolette County Deputy shooting suspect identified

ROLLA, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say a sheriff’s deputy and a suspect are dead after a shootout Jan 18 in northern North Dakota that involved several officers firing weapons.

Rolette County Sheriff Gerald Medrud says 29-year-old Colt Allery had been with the department for three months after previously working for other area law agencies.  Link to WDAY TV video of Thursday morning news conference.

The incident began about 6:10 p.m. Wednesday when officers responded to a stolen vehicle call. Deputies pursued the vehicle for about 15 miles before a shootout began at a remote intersection south of Belcourt, a town near the Canadian border that’s about 60 miles from Devils Lake.

The suspect also was killed. Medrud says three other deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on standard administrative leave. North Dakota’s state crime bureau is investigating the case.

According to a WDAZ TV news report, the alleged suspect in the vehicle theft and shooting was identified by a source as Melvin DeLong of Harvey and Belcourt.   The suspect was killed in the shoot-out.   The WDAZ report further states that DeLong has a past criminal history.

An online FBI news release in 2013 stated that Melvin DeLong of Belcourt was involved in an altercation at the Diamond Z Bar in Fort Yates (Standing Rock) and used a vehicle to drive over the victim twice.

On October 21, 2013, Melvin DeLong was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve two years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Previously…

ROLLA, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say a sheriff’s deputy and a suspect have been killed in a shootout in northern North Dakota.

Four law enforcement officers chased a man in a stolen pickup truck through the Devils Lake area about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The station reports officers caught up to the pickup at an intersection and a shootout began.

Rolette County Sheriff Gearald Medrud says a deputy was fatally shot. He says the suspect was also killed.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the case. The sheriff’s department says officials will hold a briefing Thursday morning.