By Kevin Valine
The Modesto Bee
STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office has released a video report Monday that details a suspect’s Sept. 22 West Side crime spree that culminated with a deputy-involved shooting.
The incident included the theft of a handgun from a home, the carjacking of a pickup from another residence, theft of beer from a store, and an 11-mile pursuit that ended near Newman when the suspect crashed into an orchard.
He then fled into the orchard, firing at deputies as he ran. The report later shows him advancing on deputies, striking a patrol vehicle four times with gunfire after not responding to commands to surrender, and later raising his gun toward deputies as he walked toward them. Two deputies then fired upon the suspect.
The accused, Jason Benson Dingler, 43, was taken to a hospital. Dingler says in the nearly 15-minute video that he was shot in the stomach. The Merced County man now is being held without bail at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center.
Sheriff Jeff Dirkse says in the video report the charges against Dingler include five counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, burglary, carjacking, robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, reckless evading from a peace officer and hit-and-run resulting in injury.
Dirske says Dingler’s criminal record includes convictions for rape, robbery and other violent crimes.
No deputies were hit by gunfire or injured. Dingler crashed into the orchard after sideswiping another vehicle on Highway 33 near Newman. The sheriff says in the video that the driver suffered moderate injuries. The Highway 33 pursuit had begun in Patterson and reached speeds of up to 85 mph.
The report is based on deputies’ body camera footage, footage from Air101, the SO helicopter, and surveillance footage from the two residences and the 1-Stop Market in Grayson.
The video report shows the suspect, wearing shorts but shirtless, kicking in the door of an empty residence early Sept. 22, where he stole a handgun, ammunition and a change of clothes.
In the video, the man identified as Dingler terrorizes a man and his grandmother at another residence later that afternoon as he carjacks a pickup truck. The suspect tells the man he is in the military and is “1st battalion, second corporal, United States military.”
The suspect, dressed in a black shirt, blue jeans and black ball cap, calls the man a civilian and tells him, “Call the cops and you’re dead.”
Dirkse says his department’s investigation found no military service by Dingler.
The suspect then stops at the 1-Stop in Grayson, where he walks into the convenience store with the handgun in a holster on his right hip. He grabs beer and walks out of the store. The clerk triggers the alarm.
A CHP officer spotted the suspect in the stolen pickup truck about five minutes later at Grayson Road and Highway 33. Deputies and the SO helicopter were on their way to that location. The pursuit began in Patterson on Highway 33.
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