WHITE EARTH — A White Earth man was found dead in a wooded area shortly after being the subject of a Becker County Sheriff's Office pursuit.
In a news release, the sheriff's office stated a deputy was on patrol in White Earth on Friday, May 8, when he identified the driver of a passing all-terrain vehicle as 47-year-old Michael Azure.
Azure's driving privileges were revoked as canceled-inimical to public safety. The deputy activated his squad's emergency lights, according to the news release, and Azure reportedly fled the area around 2:11 p.m. The deputy lost sight of the ATV on the south side of White Earth and ended the pursuit, the release stated.
The ATV was found around 2:25 p.m., abandoned in a field. Deputies then searched and located Azure unresponsive nearby in a wooded area. Despite lifesaving efforts, Azure was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's office reported.
Azure's body was transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy. The cause of death remains under investigation.
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