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BERRIEN COUNTY — A South Bend man involved in a a multi-state vehicle pursuit and officer-involved shooting was found dead Wednesday evening in South Bend, according to authorities.

At 8:24 p.m. last evening, a Michigan State Police (MSP) Niles Post trooper conducted a traffic stop on S. 11th Street near  Marion Street in the parking lot of Green Stem Provisioning in the city of Niles for defective equipment (blown brake lamp). The vehicle, a red Kia, was occupied by the male driver and female front seat passenger.

The trooper discovered the man, identified as 32-year-old Joshua Ringle of South Bend, had an active warrant for assault and while trying to take Ringle into custody, he began to actively resist and a physical altercation ensued, following which Ringle was able to escape back to his vehicle. The trooper followed Ringle back to the vehicle and deployed his Taser toward the Ringle who was now sitting in Ringle’s seat. Ringle then pulled out a firearm, at which time the trooper pointed his issued firearm at Ringle and verbally ordered him to drop the weapon.

Ringle then fled in the vehicle southbound on S. 11th Street with the trooper in pursuit.

The suspect vehicle traveled several miles before crossing over into St. Joseph County, Indiana. Per MSP pursuit policy, troopers are permitted to pursue across state lines when the pursuit involves a suspect wanted for a violent felony. The pursuit ultimately entered South Bend, where near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Marion Street, the Kia struck a South Bend Police Department vehicle that was deploying stop sticks to de-escalate the pursuit.

After striking the South Bend Police Department vehicle, Ringle fled on foot southeast toward the river and shots were fired. A second MSP trooper in his police vehicle pursued the suspect while he fled on foot. The police vehicle went partially over the embankment, striking a tree.

A search for Ringle began involving multiple officers from different agencies. He was ultimately found deceased at the bottom of an embankment near the river. The female passenger was uninjured.

Indiana State Police (ISP) detectives are currently investigating the officer-involved-shooting, vehicle pursuit, crash, suspect cause of death and other circumstances of this incident that occurred in Indiana.

In accordance with MSP policy, the two involved MSP troopers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

An autopsy will be performed on Ringle at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on Friday, July 21, 2023. At the conclusion of this investigation, all information will be turned over to the St. Joseph County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office for review.