A White Earth man was found dead in a wooded area Friday after he fled from a Becker County deputy on an ATV, according to the sheriff’s office.
Michael James Azure, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene and his cause of death is under investigation. Azure was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Around 2:10 p.m. on May 8, a Becker County deputy on patrol in White Earth saw a man driving an ATV on the highway at the east intersection of County Highway 34 and County Highway 21. The deputy recognized the driver as Azure and knew his driving privileges had been cancelled as inimical to public safety, officials said.
When the deputy activated his squad’s emergency lights, Azure accelerated rapidly southbound onto Mission Road. A short pursuit followed before Azure entered a gravel trail on the south side of White Earth. The deputy lost sight of the ATV and the pursuit was terminated.
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At about 2:25 p.m., the ATV was found abandoned in a field south of White Earth. Deputies searched the area and found Azure unresponsive in a wooded area nearby. Deputies began life-saving measures, which were continued by emergency personnel before Azure was pronounced dead.
The Becker County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the White Earth Police Department, White Earth Ambulance, White Earth Fire Department, Life Link Air Care and the Minnesota State Patrol.
